OF HUMAN BONDAGE
FBI Exec Testifies on the Trafficking of Persons
06/10/05
It's sad but true:
right here in this country, people are being bought, sold, and smuggled
like modern-day slaves. They are trapped in lives of misery, often beaten,
starved, and forced to work as prostitutes or to take grueling jobs with
little or no pay.
The victims include
some of the most vulnerable in society: abused children who've run away
from home, women with few job skills, immigrants who fear deportation
or retaliation against their families overseas if they speak up. For
them, there is little hope of escape.
On 6/7, our top criminal
investigative exec, Chris Swecker, testified about the
problem of "human trafficking"—discussing its scope within
the U.S. and, more importantly, detailing our growing efforts to help
free these victims and disband the criminal enterprises behind these
hateful crimes.
Who called
the hearing? The Commission
on Security and Cooperation in Europe, or the U.S. Helsinki Commission —a
U.S. government agency chaired by Senator Sam Brownback that monitors
human rights and other issues.
We urge you to read Mr.
Swecker's full testimony and learn more about:
- The problem
of child prostitution: who the victims are and how the criminal
enterprises that exploit them operate.
- The "Innocence
Lost" initiative: what it is and why it's making an
important difference in finding victims of child prostitution and
putting pimps and other criminals behind bars.
- The "Stormy
Nights" investigation: how it ended a ring of child
prostitution at truck stops stretching from Florida to Colorado.
- Victim
Assistance efforts: how we're helping victims of child sexual
trafficking begin new lives, including the challenges involved and
their specific needs.
- International
human trafficking: what we're doing to combat the problem
through new task forces, a new National Hispanic Sex Trafficking
initiative, and support of the recently established Human Smuggling
Trafficking Center.
If you're
interested in learning more about the problem of
human trafficking and responses to it, check out
the Department
of State's annual Trafficking In Persons report
released earlier this month. Also see the Department
of Justice Trafficking in Persons website.
Photo courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security
