
Dear Friend,
June has been a very active month here at the State Attorney’s Office. While many places slowed down during the summer, we geared up as our community welcomed hundreds of thousands of soccer fans for FIFA World Cup 2026. As we move through a busy and impactful month, I want to share several important highlights from our ongoing efforts to protect our community.
June marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, a reminder of our responsibility to safeguard some of our most vulnerable residents. My Elder and Vulnerable Adult (EVA) Unit, Community Outreach Division (COD), and I participated in events throughout the county providing information to our seniors and caretakers. I want to thank all who continue to advocate, educate, and intervene on behalf of our elders.
This month, I met with Attorney General James Uthmeier and business community leaders to strengthen our united stance against Human Trafficking. A press conference followed the discussion, where we highlighted our powerful partnership with other agencies and local businesses and how we are working together to save victims and hold predators accountable. Collaboration remains one of our strongest tools and these conversations help reinforce the partnerships needed to confront this crime head‑on.
Miami is buzzing with excitement over the World Cup—and our Human Trafficking Task Force is working tirelessly to protect our community and rescue victims. In addition to conducting undercover operations four times a week, our team is on the ground at the FIFA Fan Fest, distributing information, and engaging directly with the public on how to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report concerns to our hotline. We need your help—your vigilance makes a difference. If you see something, say something.
As the summer heat intensifies, please remember to stay safe, stay hydrated, and look out for one another.
Thank you and God Bless,
Sincerely,
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| The purpose of this event was to educate our community and provide vital resources to older adults, particularly those who are most vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. Through collaborative efforts and community engagement, the aim is to raise awareness about the millions of older adults who experience these challenges each year. | ||
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| State Attorney Katherine Fernandez joined Attorney General James Uthmeier, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones, FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles, Homeland Security Investigation acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa, Florida International University President Jeanette Nuñez, President & CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Mark Wilson, VISIT FLORIDA President & CEO Bryan Griffin, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Alfred Sanchez, and Uber Senior Associate for Public Policy Lizzie Pittinger in a roundtable discussion with federal, state, and local law enforcement, business leaders, and community stakeholders to reaffirm the state’s commitment to protecting Floridians and visitors from crimes of exploitation. This comes as Miami anticipates an increased risk of trafficking activity while hosting the FIFA World Cup and several other large-scale global events. | ||||
| The roundtable, held at Florida International University's Modesto A. Maidique Campus, joined key partners together to coordinate awareness efforts, intelligence sharing, and prevention strategies. It was followed by a press conference that emphasized and reinforced joint prevention efforts against Human Trafficking. | ||||
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| “Human traffickers revel in their ability to dehumanize their victims, particularly their child victims, by stripping them of their individuality and turning them into walking money machines dispensing cash to the trafficker,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Only effective partnerships, such as our partnership with Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and our local, state and federal law enforcement communities, combined with the help and assistance of our business and educational communities can end the activities of these criminal traffickers." | ||||
| “We are taking a proactive approach and joining forces across government and private industry to combat human trafficking,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Large-scale global events bring an increase in trafficking activity and crimes of exploitation, which is why we are standing together to get ahead of the bad guys. With World Cup matches in Miami, South Florida will see record-breaking tourism, but we will not let that devolve into record-breaking crime.” | ||||
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| State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle joined Sheriff Rosie Cordero, FBI Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles, FIFA Miami Host Committee Chief Operating Officer Raymond Martinez, and representatives from the Florida Highway Patrol and Miami Beach Police Department as an invited speaker at the Miami‑Dade Sheriff’s Office FIFA World Cup Press Conference on June 5th. The event brought together local and federal partners to outline public‑safety preparations as Miami‑Dade welcomed the start of the 2026 World Cup earlier this month. | |||
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| As the tournament continues, the State Attorney’s Office remains fully committed to ensuring that Miami‑Dade is not only a world‑class host city, but also a safe and vigilant community, one where traffickers are stopped before they can harm anyone. |
FIFA Fan Fest 2026 Outreach |
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SAO HT Task Force Training First Responders & Medical Staff at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital |
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| Representatives from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, including Sgt. Betsy Cruz and Detectives of the Human Trafficking Squad, discussed specific indicators of trafficking, the importance of building rapport with victim-survivors, and the critical role of timely reporting. | ||||
| Senior Victim Specialist from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Unit, Tanya Gennusa, provided updates regarding proactive operations taking place during the FIFA World Cup, community outreach efforts at FIFA Fan-Fest, more important indicators to look for, and highlighted the SAO 305-FIX-STOP Human Trafficking Hotline as a resource for reporting and assistance. | ||||
| A special thanks to Dr. Anton Gomez, ER Physician, Assistant Medical Director for MDFR and Medical Director for SANE Program as well as Melissa Del Rios, SANE Coordinator extraordinaire, and her entire team at HCA Kendall Hospital for organizing and hosting this training. |
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| State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle joined City of Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins, then-City of Miami Police Chief Manny Morales and the office of Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar to celebrate the 35th anniversary Do The Right Thing at their Summer Salute Awards Night. All attendees recognized the program's impact over the past 35 years and their continued support of our students and community. | |||
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| Also in attendance were Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Nilo Cuervo,Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Felony Screening and Criminal Intake Units City of Miami Police staff, Miami-Dade Assistant Sheriff Andrew Glass, Miami-Dade County School Police Major Joseph Bevilacqua, Bal Harbour Police Chief Raleigh Flowers, the office of U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, Miami-Dade County Public Schools South Region Office, and Miami Lakes Councilman Alex Sanchez as they celebrated our students, schools, and community partners who are making a difference throughout Miami and beyond. |
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Representatives Our Community Outreach Division (COD) was out in full force at FIFA Fan Fest at Bayfront Park manning the Justice in Motion bus. Deputy Chief Assistant Nilo Cuervo and COD Representatives Angie Fernandez, Janeen Jones, Jose A. Lopez and Steve Machin shared information and resources with the public about the State Attorney's Human Trafficking Task Force and how we combat this modern-day slavery. If you know or suspect Human Trafficking, please call our 24/7 local rapid response hotline at 305-349-7867 (305-FIX-STOP) or use our QR Code. |
| The SAO's COD Unit had a training session for staff who volunteer at our Second Chance Sealing and Expungement events. This training helps our team better support individuals seeking a fresh start and reinforces our commitment to making Second Chance events accessible and welcoming for everyone in our community. |
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