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From Dani Rojas to the USL: Cristo Fernandez earns an El Paso Locomotive deal

By The Associated Press

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Forward Cristo Fernandez, the actor who portrayed Dani Rojas on the Apple TV series “Ted Lasso” has signed with El Paso Locomotive FC of the USL to play soccer professionally.

Terms of the deal announced Tuesday, which still must be approved by the second-tier league and soccer federation, were not disclosed.

Fernandez earned the deal after a two-month trial with the team, appearing in a preseason match against New Mexico United. He played soccer at the youth level before an injury at the age of 15 led him to acting.

“No matter where life has taken me, the dream of competing professionally never truly left my heart,” Fernandez said. “I’m incredibly grateful to El Paso Locomotive FC — the club, coaches, staff, and especially my teammates — for opening the doors and giving me the opportunity to compete from day one.”

Locomotive coach Junior Gonzalez said Fernandez is a great addition, giving them another attacking threat while bringing passion and leadership to the locker room.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

By WTOP Staff
▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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