Before Miami Super Bowl, Coast Guard on patrol in fight against human trafficking | Opinion

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and as we prepare to celebrate Super Bowl LIV in Miami, the U.S. Coast Guard is ready to respond to the unique and dynamic environment unfolding during the festivities.

This prominent event will host more than 300,000 people across the region, including celebrities and government officials. The Coast Guard, as the premier maritime law enforcement agency in the United States, will do its part to ensure that members of the public engaging in activities near our coastline remain safe.

Human trafficking is a plight in our world that destroys lives and families. It occurs both on land and at sea. Human trafficking can assume many forms, from large scale, overloaded migrant vessels organized by smuggling cartels to clandestine smuggling ventures where the migrants are treated like any other cargo. The Coast Guard is committed to preventing the loss of life at sea by targeting unsafe, overloaded, unseaworthy vessels trying to enter U.S. borders illegally.

In 2019, the Coast Guard worked closely with federal, state and local law-enforcement partners to disrupt the illegal migration of more than 6,500 people in the Seventh District. Our partners, including Customs and Border Protection — and its Air and Marine Operations and the Border Patrol — along with Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, play critical roles in fighting illegal migration and human trafficking.

These challenges exist within our borders as well. Celebratory events occurring over prolonged periods, such as the Super Bowl, present an opportunity for criminals to engage in many illicit activities, including human trafficking. The Coast Guard and its partners will remain vigilant during all phases of Super Bowl celebrations, conducting patrols and coordinating with law enforcement to enforce immigration laws and interdict illegal smuggling operations. We will also be supporting the Stop Sex Trafficking Campaign launched by the Miami Super Bowl Committee.

We encourage all mariners to keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it: If you see something, say something.

The Coast Guard has protected the interests of our nation since 1790. Today, we continue to save lives, protect maritime commerce, enforce laws and secure our country’s borders. Your Coast Guard is dedicated to the public’s safety and security and we remain ready, relevant and responsive in our day-to-day operations.

Rear Admiral Eric C. Jones is the commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District headquartered in Miami, Florida. He is responsible for all Coast Guard operations in the Southeast United States and the Caribbean Basin, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Seventh District encompasses an area of 1.8 million square miles and shares operational borders with 34 foreign nations and territories.