By Robert Haugh

A regional anti-human trafficking crackdown tied to the Super Bowl led to 29 arrests and the recovery of 73 suspected sex-trafficking victims, including 10 minors, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force.

One of the recovered victims was 12-years-old and was being trafficked in Oakland, the District Attorney’s Office said.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen said the results showed what coordinated planning can do when a major international event draws huge crowds.

“Beyond football, the Super Bowl was a triumph of Bay Area law enforcement planning, organization, cooperation, and safety,” Rosen said. “Human trafficking is not a game; it’s a tragedy.”

The task force helped coordinate efforts across 11 Bay Area counties, bringing together 67 law enforcement agencies from Sacramento to Monterey.

For two weeks before the game, the task force set up a command center in Sunnyvale staffed by more than 20 analysts from multiple agencies, including the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the DA’s Crime Strategies Unit, federal partners, and community-based organizations. 

Analysts worked tips in real time and coordinated directly with agents in the field, the DA said, allowing investigations that often take weeks to move in minutes.

Investigators launched nearly 40 operations during the two-week push.

In Santa Clara County, investigators recovered seven victims, arrested two traffickers, and seized a firearm, the DA said.

Officials said similar enforcement planning is already underway for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches scheduled at Levi’s Stadium between June 13 and July 1, when another surge of visitors is expected to arrive in the region.