Boston is one of 16 host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Matches are scheduled for Gillette Stadium, also called Boston Stadium, in Foxborough, just outside Boston.
Officials said agencies “implemented proactive measures” to identify and protect missing children considered at high risk for human trafficking or sexual exploitation.
The initiative is called “Operation Yellow Card.” The operation began in April and has already resulted in the safe recovery of 35 high-risk missing children from Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Some of the children located were from as far away as Georgia and Texas, authorities said.
Authorities said the children were safely recovered and either reunited with their families or placed in protective care. The operation also resulted in several investigations into alleged kidnapping, human trafficking, and related crimes.
"The upcoming FIFA World Cup is a monumental event for Massachusetts, but large-scale international gatherings historically bring a heightened risk of predatory exploitation targeting our communities' most vulnerable youth," Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts Dennis Matulewicz said in a statement.
"Operation Yellow Card represents our unyielding commitment to intercepting these threats and securing endangered children before they can be pulled into networks of trafficking and abuse. This operation’s early success in recovering 35 high-risk missing children is a direct result of the extraordinary, seamless cooperation between the U.S. Marshals Service and our outstanding state, local, and federal law enforcement partners across Massachusetts," he said.
Operation Yellow Card is scheduled to continue throughout the FIFA World Cup, stated the U.S. Marshals Service.
"Every missing and vulnerable young person deserves safety and security and to be given the opportunity to live free from the threat of exploitation. Human traffickers prey on our most vulnerable, targeting those who are often isolated or in crisis,” said Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble.
“Locating missing and endangered children does not come and go with an international soccer tournament, it is an issue facing our youth year-round,” said Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz, adding that the county has developed a strong partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service.