Frank Russo, director of the Center for Combating Human Trafficking at the CPAC Foundation, says this crime is closer to home than most Americans realize, and that there is real reason for hope.
When most people picture human trafficking, they imagine a stranger grabbing someone in a parking lot or a crime that only happens in a faraway country.
According to Frank Russo, the reality is much different, and much closer to home.
On The Family Policy Alliance Report, recorded live at SoConCon 2026, host Grace Youngson sits down with Frank Russo, director of the Center for Combating Human Trafficking at the CPAC Foundation, to talk about what trafficking really looks like, what happened during this summer's World Cup and what ordinary Americans can do about it.
What Human Trafficking Really Looks Like
Russo is a father of young children who worked on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees before joining CPAC. Once you learn about trafficking, he says, "you feel like you can't look away ever again."
Many Americans picture a TV drama, he says: a big-city crime or a stranger in a store parking lot. The reality is often simpler and harder to spot.
- Under federal law, trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to trap someone in a life they would not otherwise be in, through sex trafficking or labor trafficking.
- It can start online, through social media or apps, or in person. Sometimes it happens within families.
- Traffickers look for vulnerabilities, and those exist everywhere: rural and urban communities, high-income and low-income families.
"It's unfortunately a business to them," Russo says. His advice is to take "see something, say something" seriously again, whether you're at an airport, a hotel or a community center.
Human Trafficking at the World Cup: What Happened in Atlanta
Big events create opportunities for criminals, Russo says. According to him, more than seven million fans attended games in the host cities this year, and he worked with Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, on prevention efforts.
In Atlanta, state, local and federal partners joined forces. According to Russo:
- A bust made public the day of the interview led to more than 20 arrests and more than 50 people rescued.
- The effort ended with a volunteer event packing supplies for survivor homes across Georgia, with partners including Rotary International, major hotel chains and Delta.
- Some survivors came forward to say the work gave them hope.
"We said at Atlanta, there's going to be no home for traffickers here," Russo says, "and we made that come true."
Hear Russo describe what happened in Atlanta.
Protecting Children Online
Grace also asks about online child safety, which connects directly to Family Policy Alliance's Let Parents Parent initiative.
Russo, whose four-year-old uses a tablet better than he does, says policy should empower parents first. He points to the App Store Accountability Act, which would require age verification and give parents and law enforcement a way to hold tech companies accountable. "What could be more important than that?" he asks.
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Hope in the Fight Against Human Trafficking
Russo calls himself a "happy warrior." "Trafficking thrives in darkness," he says, so the more people who are aware and willing to help, the more traffickers are exposed.
He points to recent wins, including the Take It Down Act and the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, which he says gives survivors a path to clear criminal records tied to what traffickers forced them to do.
How to Help Fight Human Trafficking
- Learn more through CPAC's Center for Combating Human Trafficking.
- Read up through groups like the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and Shared Hope International.
- Volunteer at a local survivor home or support your state's prosecuting task force.
- Ask your local, state and federal officials what they are doing about trafficking. "They have to have an answer," Russo says.
Watch the full conversation to hear Frank Russo explain what human trafficking really looks like, what happened during the World Cup and why he believes ordinary Americans can make a difference.
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