ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — More than 150 people were arrested in a multi-agency law enforcement operation to crack down on human trafficking and child exploitation in metro Atlanta during the FIFA World Cup, federal and state officials announced Tuesday. “Operation Red Card” resulted in 153 arrests, 11 of which were for child exploitation and 13 for human trafficking, Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for Georgia and Alabama, said during a news conference. Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), described the operation as “a proactive undercover investigation and intel-gathering mission,” and said it was coordinated by HSI, the GBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and many local law enforcement agencies, among others. Related crackdowns under the name “Operation Red Card” also took place in and around other World Cup host cities. RELATED COVERAGE: Nearly 100 drones seized during FIFA World Cup in Atlanta, FBI officials say “As the world’s eyes turned to Atlanta during the World Cup, traffickers and predators saw an opportunity, but so did we in law enforcement,” Schrank said. “Operation Red Card was launched to confront the horrors of human trafficking and child exploitation head on.” Schrank said 129 arrests were for charges included pandering, narcotics violations, outstanding warrants, prostitution and related offenses. Among those arrested were…
*This content (including text, artwork, graphics, photography, and video) was provided by the third party(ies) as referenced above. Any rights or other content questions or inquiries should be directed to such third-party provider(s).
