A sweeping undercover operation targeting suspected child predators and traffickers resulted in multiple arrests in South Florida as authorities ramp up security efforts ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

The operation, conducted in Homestead, resulted in the arrests of 12 men accused of responding to digital advertisements for sex with 13- to 15-year-old children, CBS News reported, citing arrest reports.

Homestead police and investigators from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office’s Human Trafficking Task Force, along with other law enforcement agencies, initiated a sting operation where detectives “posed as a mother prostituting her two daughters online,” Local10 News reported. They arrested the men after they allegedly showed up to the hotel to pay for sexual acts with either one or both girls. 

“We caught them as they made payment, knowing, knowing that they were purchasing an underage person,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said, according to NBC 6. “They knew they were buying a child. They had intended to exploit and have sex with these children.”

Fernandez Rundle detailed in an early June press conference that the county has “already executed various proactive undercover operations targeting sex traffickers,” and they have more planned in the following months in preparation for the many visitors coming to the area.

Several people were arrested in connection with a human trafficking operation ahead of the World Cup. https://t.co/Vo3AgqceE2 — WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) June 11, 2026

According to Local10, authorities identified the suspects as: Melvin Eucedia Ruiz, 27, of southwest Miami-Dade, Cesar Jordan, 42, of southwest Miami-Dade, Mohamed Kazim Latiff, 51, of Homestead, Cristobal Lopez-Lorenzo, 29, of Homestead, Zachary James Martell, 35, of Palmetto Bay, Armando Martinez, 49, of Florida City, Tomas Julio Matom Gallego, 23, of Homestead, Pantaleon Mendez Ortega, 41, of southwest Miami-Dade, Alex Alberto Pastor-Perez, 22, of Homestead, Nicolas Diego Roselin, 24, of Homestead, Daniel Rubio-Pelcaster, 46, of southwest Miami-Dade and Mariolensky Solon, 22, of southwest Miami-Dade.

The suspects face a variety of charges, including human trafficking and traveling to meet minors, according to 7News. (RELATED: ‘Polk Around And Find Out’: Deputies Round Up Alleged Child Predators, Human Traffickers In Operation)

Miami Stadium will host seven 2026 World Cup matches.

“We are now expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors that we’ve never really experienced as a community,” Fernandez Rundle said, CBS12 reported.

The operations are part of a broader effort to stop criminals from exploiting the visitors expected during the month-long tournament.

Fernandez Rundle said her office’s Human Trafficking Unit has expanded preparations to identify suspected traffickers and rescue victims, reported CBS12. Some of these efforts include coordinating with companies and organizations on human trafficking awareness outreach, as well as increasing messaging about hotline accessibility and support services.

As South Florida welcomes visitors for major events and the busy summer travel season, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office remains committed to combating human trafficking every day of the year. Our Human Trafficking Unit works tirelessly to identify traffickers, assist survivors,… pic.twitter.com/KPi8Z7jRiz — Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (@MiamiDade_SO) June 10, 2026

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier estimated that the World Cup could become “the largest human trafficking location in world history” due to the massive international presence, entertainment and influx of money associated with the tournament, according to CBS News. He said state and federal authorities are sending additional resources into South Florida to combat the threat.

Florida ranks number three in the nation for human trafficking, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney. With the World Cup now underway, the recent arrests are intended to send a message that traffickers and child predators will face heightened scrutiny throughout the tournament.

“We’ll be all hands on deck,” Uthmeier said, according to CBS News. “We’re going to put a lot of bad guys away.”

Source: The Daily Caller