A section on general considerations addresses the first response, victim stabilization, and subsequent actions. The first response involved the successful identification of victims and the reporting of the case to the U.S. Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime. Ideally, if appropriate, a Federal investigator will interview victims within 24 hours of the discovery of a trafficking offense. In most of the successfully prosecuted trafficking investigations examined for this article, local police detained victims, prepared reports, and assessed local and State charges against suspects. A separate section of the article on victim and witness cooperation advises that the most successful results of investigations involved agents with experience in human trafficking cases. Such investigators show more sensitivity to victim needs, know how best to manage victims, and know where and how to obtain information for corroborating evidence. A discussion of agency roles and challenges notes the importance of cooperation among numerous agencies and the obstacles to such cooperation. Among the agencies that may be relevant to an investigation are the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Department of Labor, and nongovernmental organizations that provide services and advocacy for trafficked persons. Other sections of this article address evidence collection, evidence corroboration, interview considerations, and arrests. 16 notes