By COYOTE RI
This investigative synthesis draws on 15 years of research by COYOTE RI (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics Rhode Island), arguing that the modern anti-trafficking industry has become a profit-driven enterprise that diverts public attention from the structural conditions that create vulnerability: poverty, housing instability, inadequate healthcare, and failing social institutions. Rather than addressing these root causes, the report contends that anti-trafficking campaigns often reinforce punitive systems while expanding law enforcement budgets and surveillance powers.
The report points to Rhode Island State Police’s June 23, 2026, “Operation Red Card,” conducted in connection with the FIFA World Cup, as an example. Although presented as an effort to combat the sexual exploitation of children, critics argue that many high-profile trafficking stings emphasize arrests over identifying or assisting actual victims. The report also cites the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)’s What’s the Cost of a Rumour?, which challenges recurring claims that major sporting events trigger spikes in human trafficking. According to GAATW, these narratives are not supported by evidence and instead function as powerful public messaging that can justify increased policing, expanded surveillance technologies, and larger public safety budgets.
Read COYOTE RI’s full investigative synthesis for a deeper examination of the evidence and sources.