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Digging Deeper: The Reach of Human Trafficking (Video)

NCJ Number
207266
Date Published
July 2004
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video uses three case studies to illustrate the nature and management of cases that involve human trafficking in the United States.
Abstract
The first case, which occurred in Fort Worth, TX, involved the trafficking of children and teens from Honduras to Texas where they were forced to work off the debt of their transportation through prostitution. Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers describe the cooperative efforts involved in breaking up the trafficking ring in Texas and gaining the cooperation of Honduran authorities in prosecuting members of the trafficking organization based in Honduras. The second case involved that of a 12-year-old girl brought from New York to engage in prostitution in Washington, DC, under the control of a pimp and the pimp's enforcer. The girl was noticed by a police officer shortly after she began working as a prostitute, and she cooperated in identifying and prosecuting those involved in her exploitation. The third case occurred in Florida and involved the forced labor of illegal migrant workers trafficked from outside the United States to a specific family-based employer, who virtually enslaved the workers through intimidation and torture. Comments on each of the investigations in these cases emphasize cooperation among Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials, as well as public and private victim service providers. Asset forfeiture is also emphasized as an important feature used to cripple the financial resources of the criminal networks involved in human trafficking.