According to this article in The Examiner, Huston's Human Trafficking Task Force rescued twelve adult and young women from a international trafficking ring in Huston. This ring was operated by six men and seven women, smuggling undocumented women and minors from Mexico into Huston, where they were then forced by various means into the prostitution business. The majority of their business was conducted inside of two local hotels, both of which remained open late and acted as bars/brothels. It is concluded that this particular ring has been in operation since 1999, and it is estimated that they made over $1,200,000 in room fees only. Customers also had to pay individual fees per girl depending on their age. This money would go to the girl's pimp, none of it to the girl. Those that were charged fall into either conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, conspiracy to commit prostitution, conspiracy to commit money laundering, or any combination of the three. Each person involved is currently in federal custody without bail until their detention hearings. As for the girls that were rescued, they have been placed within non-profit rehabilitation centers. These arrests and rescues are the result of many Huston organizations working together to end human trafficking within their city.
This is a prime example of multiple organizations within the same city working together to end human trafficking. Not only were they able to tackle a major human trafficking ring within their city limits, but these girls were being brought over the border. Now that those who ran this ring are behind bars, that is less girls and women that will be trafficked by those individuals. It may seem like the tiniest bit of progress, but any progress is a huge step in this fight. This article also included information about how to contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, which will help educate those who read it and better equip them to properly and proactively react in any given situation regarding human trafficking. If more cities are willing to partner up with their local governments, police forces, and non-profit organizations such as Huston is doing, tons of stories like this would be occurring all across America. And each little success adds up to ending international human trafficking as a whole.
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/west_university/news/dozen-victims-recovered-charged-in-international-sex-trafficking-ring/article_85c2e577-e8bf-55c6-b85e-c5fec7d90e73.html
Caroline Califf
October 15th, 2013
2:57 pm
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