More Than Drugs — The Other Tragedy Playing Out In Kensington: My Broad + Liberty Piece On The Philadelphia FBI's Community Leadership Award To The New Day to Stop Trafficking Organization

Broad + Liberty ran my piece on The Philadelphia FBI’s community leadership award to an organization that is helping victims of human trafficking.

You can read the piece via the link below or the text below:

More than drugs — the other tragedy playing out in Kensington

When one thinks of the rough part of Kensington in Philadelphia, I suppose one thinks of drug trafficking. 

Yet, there is another form of illegal trafficking that goes on in Kensington — even more degrading than drugs — human trafficking. 

The FBI defines human trafficking the illegal exploitation of a person. 

“Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, and it can occur in any U.S. community — cities, suburbs, and even rural areas. The FBI works human trafficking cases under its Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking program.” 

According to the FBI, the bureau takes a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach in investigating these cases.

“Here in the United States, both U.S. residents and foreign nationals are being bought and sold like modern-day slaves,” the FBI stated. “Traffickers use violence, manipulation, or false promises of well-paying jobs or romantic relationships to exploit victims. Victims are forced to work as prostitutes or to take jobs as migrant, domestic, restaurant, or factory workers with little or no pay. Human trafficking is a heinous crime that exploits the most vulnerable in society.”

On July 28, 2025, Wayne A. Jacobs, the Philadelphia FBI’s Special Agent in Charge, announced that the Salvation Army’s New Day to Stop Trafficking (NDTST) was the recipient of the 2024 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for the Philadelphia FBI Field Office. 

Heather La Rocca, the NDTST director, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

The FBI stated that the NDTST exists to foster safety, prevent re-victimization and advocate for social change for survivors and those at risk of human trafficking through trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and accessible services. The New Day Drop-In Center welcomes women in the Kensington area who were exploited by the commercial sex industry into a safe and trauma informed environment. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office stated that they have been working with NDTST for more than eight years to provide education and awareness around human trafficking.

“The Salvation Army’s New Day to Stop Trafficking has shown an extraordinary commitment to raising awareness about the critical issue of human trafficking and supporting survivors in our city” Jacobs said. “Their staff’s tireless commitment to advocacy, education, and support truly embodies the spirit of the Director’s Community Leadership Award. We are proud to recognize their valuable partnership with our office and their dedication to making our community a safer place.”

According to the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, the community leadership award honors those who are meeting community needs and working to promote safeness in the community. NDTST exemplifies these standards through their continuous work in bridging the gaps within the community and working with law enforcement to recover victims and provide the support that they need. 

The NDTST works with Philadelphia Police Department on human trafficking recovery and refers victims and survivors who are ready to speak about their experience to the FBI.

The Director’s Community Leadership Award, presented on behalf of the Director of the FBI, was formally created in 1990 as a way to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in America.

“Every day is a new day to help survivors of human trafficking,” noted the Greater Philadelphia Salvation Army. “Since 2010, the local faith-based nonprofit has provided a safe space and a second chance for survivors through its New Day to Stop Trafficking Program. The program served nearly 1,170 individuals in 2021 through a wide range of services that include counseling, case management, rehabilitation and housing.”

Heather LaRocca said that even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the NDTST’s services had not stopped.

“Our staff are on the frontlines of this very real issue in Philadelphia, and our goal is to support survivors towards success in this world,” LaRocca said. 

According to the United Judicial System of Pennsylvania, 784 human trafficking offenses were filed in Pennsylvania over the past five years. Philadelphia County accounts for eleven percent of those filings and is in the top ten for Pa. counties with the highest number of offenses filed.

The NDTST meets survivors daily to help them find a way out and embark on a new journey of opportunity, the civic organization stated. 

“Those being trafficked can come into The Salvation Army’s New Day Drop-In Center in the Kensington area and receive basic necessities such as food, clothing and personal care support. They can receive transitional housing for rehabilitation and safe reintegration into their community.”

The NDTST program also includes a mobile case management operation that builds strong bonds with clients through in-person and virtual meetings and relationships with key city organizations to better respond to human trafficking cases. A victim advocate, for instance, works with the Working to Restore Adolescent Power (WRAP) juvenile court to provide resources and trauma informed care at hearings.

The Salvation Army staff works with The Philadelphia Police Department’s Police-Assisted Diversion (PAD) initiative to bridge those involved in commercial sex to supportive services, rather than criminal justice involvement within the New Day to Stop Trafficking program.

The NDTST stated that most recently, they have added a trauma-informed yoga class, as well as a partnership with healthcare nonprofit Courage Medicine to provide primary care physician appointments at the NDTST Center. NDTST is expanding its transitional housing program from eight to sixteen beds and is moving into a freshly rehabbed facility.

“We have seen some amazing successes out of the program recently,” said LaRocca. “We have a client at our transitional housing site graduating from high school and going to college, and clients getting into housing and rekindling a relationship with their kids. We have clients getting into treatment and being seen as a victim rather than a perpetrator prosecuted by the criminal justice system.”

Those who are in need of help can call the Salvation Army’s Human Trafficking Hotline at 267-838-5866.

Paul Davis, a Philadelphia writer and frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty, also contributes to Counterterrorism magazine and writes their online Threatcon column. His work has also appeared in the Washington Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Weekly. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com  

Note: You can read my other Broad + Liberty pieces via the link below:

You searched for Paul Davis - Broad + Liberty

FBI Philadelphia Brings Awareness To The Issue Of Human Trafficking

The FBI in Philadelphia offers a piece on human trafficking:

This World Day Against Trafficking of Persons, FBI Philadelphia wants to raise awareness about human trafficking and the forms we see it in, our work to combat this crime, and resources the FBI has available for victims. Human trafficking is the illegal exploitation of a person. Under the human trafficking program, the FBI investigates:

• Sex trafficking: When individuals are compelled by force, fraud, or coercion to engage in commercial sex acts. Sex trafficking of a minor occurs when the victim is under the age of 18. For cases involving minors, it is not necessary to prove force, fraud, or coercion.
• Labor trafficking: When individuals are compelled by force, threats, or fraud to perform labor or service.
• Domestic servitude: When individuals within a household appear to be nannies, housekeepers, or other types of domestic workers, but they are being controlled and exploited.

Traffickers use violence, manipulation, false promises of well-paying jobs, or romantic relationships to exploit victims.

Human trafficking is not limited to one particular geographic area or part of the country. Human trafficking can occur in any community, to include cities, suburbs, and rural areas.

“With the diverse region our office covers, from rural communities to major cities, we have seen that human trafficking can occur anywhere,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office. “World Day Against Trafficking of Persons reaffirms our commitment to working alongside partners to combat human trafficking, raising awareness to prevent future victimization, and providing victims the resources they need.”

The most effective way to investigate human trafficking is through a collaborative, multi-agency approach with partners. FBI Philadelphia’s Crime Against Children and Human Trafficking program works alongside local, state, and federal partners.

Victim Resources:

Victim recovery is the primary goal of trafficking investigations. The FBI’s multi-disciplinary team of Special Agents, Analysts, Victim Specialists, and Child Adolescent Forensic Interviewers work together to ensure a victim-centered and trauma-informed response. FBI Victim Specialists work with local state and federal resources to provide immediate assistance and long-term support. After recovering a victim of human trafficking, field offices seek to arrest and successfully prosecute the traffickers. FBI Philadelphia has Victim Specialists who stand ready to assist victims of crime by ensuring they receive the resources they need.

Reporting:

If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website.

If you believe a child is involved in a trafficking situation, submit a tip through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline or call 1-800-THE-LOST. FBI personnel assigned to NCMEC review information that is provided to the CyberTipline.

FBI Philadelphia can be reached at (215) 418-4000.

For additional resources, please visit:

Human Trafficking webpage: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/human-trafficking

Victim Services Division: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services 

Defense Department Releases Training, Resources To Help Combat Trafficking in Persons

The U.S. Department of Defense, where I served for many years, first as an enlisted teenage sailor, and later as a Defense Department civilian, released a training toolkit for service chaplains to combat human trafficking.   

 

In late December, President Joe Biden proclaimed January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and urged every American to learn how to identify signs of trafficking. The Defense Department continues its efforts to prevent and eradicate this horrific crime.

 

Human trafficking deprives millions of people worldwide of their freedom. Through innovative training and resources, the Defense Department Combating Trafficking in Persons office focuses on efforts to prevent human trafficking. CTIP offers training and awareness resources to DOD's 3.4 million civilian and military personnel.

DOD CTIP Chaplains Training and Toolkit

Chaplains play a vital role in the fight against human trafficking. Often, chaplains are the first responders to victims, survivors, parents and other service members who have suffered because of human trafficking. The new specialized CTIP chaplains' training and companion toolkit focus on loss of belief, survivor's guilt, moral injury and other spiritual issues related to human trafficking.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

DOD Releases Training, Resources to Help Combat Trafficking in Persons > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

DOD Is Making Significant Strides In Countering Human Trafficking, Official Says

 Terri Moon Cronk at the DOD News offers the below piece: 

Human trafficking is as old as time and can be found almost anywhere, yet the Defense Department has made significant strides in countering it over the last 20 years, said an official in DOD's Combating Trafficking in Persons Program. 

Linda Dixon, the CTIP program manager, said three elements of human trafficking are the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel a person into either commercial sex or labor — the main trafficking issues of concern to DOD officials.

As defenders of peace around the globe, DOD supports the U.S. government's zero tolerance policy on trafficking, Dixon said. DOD is also a partner with other federal agencies in the federal government's senior policy operating group, led by the State Department which meets quarterly to combat such "horrific" crimes, she added.

In 2021, DOD had a total of 108 human trafficking in persons cases: 77 were sex trafficking or related incidents, while the remaining 31 were labor trafficking or related incidents, Dixon said. There were 160 trafficking or related cases in 2020; 65 in 2019; 141 in 2018; 63 in 2017; and 41 in 2016. The spike in 2018 was due to sting operations and 2020 saw a spike in violations in Afghanistan, she added.

While 41 cases in 2016 might seem low, it may reflect a lack of awareness at the time because DOD personnel didn't know what to watch for, Dixon said.

Since that time, DOD has increased awareness, education and training among military and civilian personnel, beginning with mandatory courses for new employees on recognizing the signs of human trafficking.

Combating sex trafficking in DOD came to the forefront some years ago in Korea, Dixon noted. Some service members married foreigners, which increased troops' pay and benefits, Dixon said. But some of the foreign spouses were abandoned once they were in the United States, and a trend developed that led to sex trafficking in prostitution and other illegal activities, she said.

Since then, service members have been convicted of sex trafficking by for exploiting minors younger than 18 and other forms of sexual exploitation, Dixon said. "Some people don't realize anybody under the age of 18 cannot consent," she added.

Labor trafficking has been investigated in DOD, particularly during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan where U.S. government contractors and subcontractors have been used as bait to entice underprivileged people from various countries. Traffickers typically promised U.S. government jobs and good salaries and benefits, but the reality was thousands of dollars in recruitment fees, cramped housing, and little pay in nearly labor-camp conditions. 

Dixon said DOD has made strides over the years. In fiscal year 2021, CTIP Program Management Office and Joint Staff's Joint Knowledge Online developed course materials for military-connected high school students, parents and educators to warn kids about the perils of sex and labor trafficking. Also last year, the CTIP PMO introduced "Survivor Voices" on its website in which survivors talk about how they were exploited in DOD-related incidents of human trafficking.

 

This year, CTIP will also:

·         Focus efforts on prevention through awareness training and outreach, address demand reduction and engage survivors.

·         Work with the office of the undersecretary of acquisition and sustainment to develop a CTIP resource kit for DOD acquisition personnel, including any DOD personnel involved in contracting and procurement. 

·         Add to the "Survivor Voices" stories on the website.

CTIP continues to work diligently on combating human trafficking and bringing awareness to the community because those activities can harm the DOD national security mission, Dixon said. "Human trafficking is everywhere," she said. "It's in your backyard." 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions Gives Key Department Of Justice Task Force New Tools To Dismantle MS-13

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Taking another step toward fulfilling President Trump’s goal of stamping out the brutal transnational criminal organization MS-13, Attorney General Jeff Sessions today formally designated the gang as a priority for the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”).

Addressing the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Attorney General explained that the formal priority designation of MS-13 allows OCDETF to utilize an expanded toolkit in its efforts to dismantle the organization. This means that OCDETF should look to all laws in its investigative and prosecutorial efforts, including drug laws, gun laws, tax laws, RICO, and anything else that will cripple the gang. In his speech, the Attorney General said:

“But this work is not finished.  I am announcing today that I have designated MS-13 as a priority for our Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.  These task forces bring together a broad coalition of our federal prosecutors, DEA, FBI, ATF, ICE, HSI, the IRS, the Department of Labor Inspector General, the Postal Service Inspectors, the Secret Service, the Marshals Service, and the Coast Guard.  And they all have one mission: to go after drug criminals and traffickers at the highest levels.

"Now they will go after MS-13 with a renewed vigor and a sharpened focus.  I am announcing that I have authorized them to use every lawful tool to investigate MS-13—not just our drug laws, but everything from RICO to our tax laws to our firearms laws.  Just like we took Al Capone off the streets with our tax laws, we will use whatever laws we have to get MS-13 off of our streets.”

Note: I wrote a piece on MS-13 for Counterterrorism magazine. I’ll post it here when it comes out.

Department Of Justice Expands Services For Crime Victims

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

The Department of Justice today published a final rule expanding the ability of victim serving agencies and organizations across the nation to reach and serve more crime victims at a time of substantial increases in victim assistance funding.  Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding directed to the states for victim assistance has more than quadrupled in the last two fiscal years. 

“Supporting the victims of crime is as essential to the pursuit of justice as making arrests and prosecuting cases,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch.  “This new rule significantly expands state and local agencies’ ability to reach survivors of a wide range of crimes, to help them recover from their ordeals, and to empower them to secure a brighter future for themselves and their loved ones.  I want to thank Congress for their outstanding commitment to the rights and well-being of victims, and I pledge that the Department of Justice will continue to do everything in our power to promote healing, restore lives, and secure meaningful justice for every American affected by crime.”

Federal funding for state victim assistance programs comes from the Crime Victims Fund, a repository of federal criminal fines, forfeitures and special assessments.  This fund does not include tax dollars.  The states, in turn, provide sub-grants to local public agencies and community service providers that help individuals, families and communities recover from both the initial trauma and the long-term effects of victimization. 

Congress raised the appropriations level of the Crime Victims Fund from $745 million in fiscal year 2014 to more than $2.3 billion in fiscal year 2015, effectively quadrupling the amount available for crime victim assistance programs.  Congress raised the cap again to more than $3 billion in fiscal year 2016.

The Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) Formula Victim Assistance Grant Program rule—clarifies and expands support for a continuum of services to crime victims, including:

• comprehensive legal assistance, including victims’ rights enforcement and civil legal assistance related to the victimization;
• transitional housing for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and other crimes and expanded coverage of relocation expenses;
• forensic interviewing and some medical expenses;
• volunteer trainings, including support for Court Appointed Special Advocates; and
• victim-centered restorative justice.

The rule also emphasizes that programs that serve victims of elder abuse, human trafficking, financial fraud and other crimes are eligible for VOCA funding, and removes language that prevented VOCA funding from supporting services to victims in detention and correctional facilities.  The rule defines the statutory term victim of child abuse, to make clear that the term covers a broad array of harm inflicted on children and includes children who witness violence or who are victims of pornography.

The rule, which replaces the VOCA Victim Assistance Final Program Guidelines, is effective today following a 30 day period for public notice and comment after publication in the Federal Register. Recipients of VOCA Assistance grant funds from theOffice for Victims of Crime must comply with the rule after the effective date.  For more information, click here.

U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) Responsible For Wide Range of Missions

Lisa Ferdinando at DoD News offers the below link:

MIAMI, Jan. 15, 2016 — From interdicting illicit drugs, conducting counterterrorism missions, fighting human trafficking, responding to humanitarian crises, to training with regional partners, a typical mission at U.S. Southern Command is anything but typical.

The command is vitally important to the United States and in promoting peace and stability in its area of responsibility, Navy Adm. Kurt W. Tidd said yesterday after taking command of Southcom.

"U.S. Southern Command has been safeguarding the interests of our nation for well over five decades," the admiral said, following the ceremony at Southcom's headquarters here.

The command is responsible for U.S. military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, an area of that covers more than 16 million square miles.

One of the five geographic combatant commands, its priorities are building partner capacity and security cooperation, contingency response, detainee operations in Guantanamo, countering transnational organize crime, and promoting democracy.

Partnerships Key to Success

Southcom works extensively with interagency and regional partners to successfully execute its many missions, noted Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The command conducts multi-national exercises, and is ready to respond to crises and contingencies, including natural disasters, mass migration or an attack on critical infrastructure, the chairman said.
Dunford described a scenario to illustrate the many areas of cooperation:

Joint Interagency Task Force - South might learn of a suspicious vessel in international waters off the coast of Panama. From there, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft might be tasked with locating the vessel in international waters.

Then, the vessel might sprint into Panama's territorial waters, dumping its bales of cocaine along the way. A Coast Guard cutter with Drug Enforcement Administration agents on board might seize the drugs while Panamanian officials intercept the vessel and make arrests.

"In another area of responsibly, that kind of coordination and cooperation might be remarkable," the chairman said. "In the United States Southern Command, it's just another day."

Unique Mission, Unique Personnel

Southcom, through its personnel and wide-ranging missions, is unique among combatant commands, according to Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly, who relinquished command of Southcom yesterday.

"It takes a ... unique set of talents to operate here in this part of the world," he said, noting that amongst its personnel, Southcom counts diplomats, human rights advocates and social and economic developers.

The command is comprised of five components and three joint task forces and employs about 1,200 permanently assigned military and civilian personnel.

The dedicated personnel should receive the credit for all the successes of the command, Kelly said.

"They have made a difference, not only for our country, but for our partner nations," he noted.

Note: In the above DoD photo by EJ Hersom Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passes command of U.S. Southern Command to Navy Adm. Kurt W. Tidd at the command's headquarters in Miami, Jan. 14, 2016. Tidd assumed command from retiring Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly.

FBI: Human Trafficking - Prison Time For Men Who Attempted to Buy Sex Slaves

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Modern-Day Slavery: My Piece On How ICE's Homeland Security Investigators Are Combating Human Trafficking

The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security Interantional published my piece on HSI and human trafficking.

You can read the piece below:

Note: You can click on the above to enlarge.

Nine Charged In Interstate Human Trafficking Conspiracy

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

PANAMA CITY, FL—A federal grand jury returned a 32-count indictment charging nine defendants, all residing in the United States illegally, in an interstate human trafficking case. The defendants were arrested yesterday in the Northern District of Florida and other locations. Their initial appearances in federal court took place yesterday and today. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The defendants are:

• Edegardo Osorno Rodriguez, 37, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida;
• Antonio Flores-Esparza, 31, Pensacola, Florida;
• Jose Juan Ruiz Prudencio, 40, Montgomery, Alabama;
• Jose Alvaro Trujillo-Santiz, 45, Panama City Beach, Florida;
• Rosa Mirtha Cruz Vidal, 34, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida;
• Mauro Gonzalez-Lira, 24, McComb, Mississippi;
• Romon Tobon, 45, Starkville, Mississippi;
• Lazaro Juarez-Juarez, 33, Atlanta, Georgia; and
• Emerson Corvera, 30, Montgomery, Alabama.

The indictment alleges that, between July 2014 and August 2015, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to transport, harbor, and market female aliens for prostitution in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and thereafter, wired the prostitution proceeds outside the United States. In addition to the conspiracy, the defendants are also charged with: 13 counts of enticing individuals to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution; 4 counts of money laundering; 7 counts of transporting individuals in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution; 6 counts of harboring an alien for the purpose of prostitution; and illegal entry by a deported alien. The trial is scheduled for January 4, 2016, at 8:15 a.m.

As part of this investigation, federal agents executed six search warrants yesterday at the following locations: two in Pensacola, one in Santa Rosa Beach, one in Panama City Beach, one in Montgomery, Alabama, and one in Laurel, Mississippi.

This case resulted from a 15 month investigation into human trafficking activities in the Northern District of Florida by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Panama City Resident Agent in Charge. It is a follow-up prosecution to a previous kidnapping case prosecuted in federal court in Panama City. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen M. Kunz and Kathryn D. Risinger.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

FBI: Operation Northern Spotlight - American-Canadian Partnership Combats Human Trafficking

The FBI website offers the below report:

The FBI joined law enforcement officials from across Canada in Toronto yesterday to announce the results of Operation Northern Spotlight, a human trafficking investigation that led to the recovery of 20 sexually exploited juveniles and the arrests of numerous individuals.

The Canadian operation—carried out by 40 police agencies and hundreds of law enforcement officers—was conducted as a parallel action with the FBI’s Operation Cross Country, the results of which were announced earlier this month.

“Human trafficking investigations are complex and labor intensive, but entirely necessary,” said Scott Tod, deputy commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). He noted that human trafficking victims are often from susceptible populations, including immigrants, migrant workers, and at-risk youth. “And human trafficking victims rarely identify themselves to authorities,” he said.

“Human trafficking is a very serious criminal threat that often targets the most vulnerable—our children,” added Joseph Campbell, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. The collaboration between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement to fight trafficking, he explained, is essential.

Operation Cross Country is part of the FBI’s Innocence Lost National Initiative. Since its creation in 2003, the Innocence Lost program has resulted in the identification and recovery of approximately 4,800 sexually exploited children. And prosecutors have obtained more than 2,000 convictions of pimps and others associated with these trafficking crimes.

Scott Tod, deputy commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (left) and Joseph Campbell, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, stressed the importance of collaboration in fighting human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children.

During last year’s Operation Cross Country, Campbell said, “I met with our Canadian law enforcement partners, and we agreed that this mission was so critical and important that it should be a unified effort between our two countries.”

That collaboration resulted in parallel enforcement actions that took place across the U.S. and Canada in early October, with both countries sharing intelligence and best practices to run successful operations that led to the recovery of child victims from truck stops, hotels, clubs, and casinos. The Canadian effort led to charges against 47 individuals and the recovery of victims who were mostly under the age of 19—some as young as 14.

Yesterday’s press conference in Toronto included law enforcement personnel from OPP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ottawa Police Service, and numerous other Canadian law enforcement agencies. Also on hand were representatives from a child advocacy center and a recovered victim of the sex trade who now advocates on behalf of those who are trafficked and sexually exploited.

“It is vitally important that we continue to mobilize to raise awareness about human trafficking and to enhance public safety at the community level,” Tod said.

Campbell agreed. “Operation Cross Country and Operation Northern Spotlight are so important because they maximize the impact in combating the threat and they draw attention to this serious problem. I am proud to stand here today with my Canadian partners.” 

FBI: Operation Cross Country Recovering Victims of Child Sex Trafficking

The FBI web site offers a report on Operation Cross Country.

Operation Cross Country, a nationwide law enforcement action that took place last week and focused on underage victims of prostitution, has concluded with the recovery of 149 sexually exploited children and the arrests of more than 150 pimps and other individuals.

The FBI, in partnership with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), conducted the annual action—the ninth and largest such enforcement to date—as part of the Bureau’s Innocence Lost National Initiative.

“Our mission is to protect the American people—especially our children—from harm,” said FBI Director James Comey.” When kids are treated as a commodity in seedy hotels and on dark roadsides, we must rescue them from their nightmare and severely punish those responsible for that horror. We simply must continue to work with our partners to end the scourge of sex trafficking in our country.”

“Human trafficking is a monstrous and devastating crime that steals lives and degrades our nation,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “As a result of the FBI’s outstanding coordination and exemplary efforts alongside state and local partners during Operation Cross Country, more children will sleep safely tonight, and more wrongdoers will face the judgment of our criminal justice system.”

You can read the rest of the report and watch a video of a take down via the below link: 

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2015/october/operation-cross-country/operation-cross-country?utm_campaign=email-Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=fbi-top-stories&utm_content=476760 

FBI: Denver Task Force Recovers Most Children From Trafficking In Nationwide Sting

The FBI released the below information:

Officials from the FBI and 500 law enforcement partners announced today that 149 underage trafficking victims were recovered and 153 pimps were arrested in a nationwide human trafficking operation conducted throughout the United States last week. The initiative, dubbed Operation Cross Country IX, is a national effort spearheaded by the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, along with state and local law enforcement partners across the country. The initiative targets the criminal enterprises responsible for the commercial sex trafficking of children.

The youngest victim in this year’s operation was 12 years old. Of the 149 victims recovered, three of those minors were transgender, and three were males. During the operation, 90 victim specialists provided on-scene direct services to the victims of sex trafficking, while 105 child victims received on-site direct services, which may have included crisis intervention and resources for basic needs like medical, food, clothing and shelter. Due to the size of the operation, FBI victim specialists coordinated with local law enforcement victim advocates and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who provided additional support to the victims.

In Denver, FBI officials announced that 20 underage victims were recovered and seven pimps were arrested as part of the takedown. The operation was conducted in Colorado and Wyoming. In one case, the operation rescued a 14-year-old girl who was being trafficked for sex on Colfax by a gang member. Today, she has reconciled with her family and is in a treatment program.

Of 135 cities participating in the operation, Denver ranks first for the number of juveniles recovered from trafficking. This is the second year in a row the local operation recovered more juveniles than any other city in the country.

“Human trafficking is a monstrous and devastating crime that steals lives and degrades our nation,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “As a result of the FBI’s outstanding coordination and exemplary efforts alongside state and local partners during Operation Cross Country, more children will sleep safely tonight, and more wrongdoers will face the judgment of our criminal justice system. The Department of Justice will continue to aggressively and persistently fight this heinous crime, and to hold its perpetrators accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Operation Cross Country IX is the largest in the nine-year history of the initiative, with 53 FBI field offices and 73 Child Exploitation Task Forces, which include federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, taking part in the operation in 135 cities across America, including Colorado and Wyoming. Nationwide, more than 500 law enforcement officials, including investigators and officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations, conducted both “in-call” and “out-call” operations in hotels, casinos, truck stops, and in other areas known to be frequented by both prostitutes, sex-traffickers, and their customers.

“We’re not playing around. If you’re caught hurting and trafficking our children, we’ll do everything we can with prosecutors to put you behind bars forever and take away your freedom,” Thomas P. Ravenelle, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Denver Division, said.

Operation Cross Country is part of the FBI’s Innocence Lost national initiative, which began in 2003. Since the program’s inception, more than 4,800 children have been recovered from underage prostitution and prosecutors have obtained more than 2,000 convictions, including at least 15 that have resulted in life sentences. For additional information on Operation Cross Country IX and the Innocence Lost initiative, please visit www.fbi.gov.

Also today, SAC Ravenelle recognized four local and state prosecutors for their outstanding work fighting exploitation and prosecuting traffickers. They were each presented with a certificate of appreciation signed by FBI Director James Comey, along with an Innocence Lost patch and a unit challenge coin.

“Thanks to prosecutors, the public gets the message loudly and clearly that trafficking our children won’t be tolerated. The law is going to throw the book at you. Our prosecutors have ensured that traffickers are getting life sentences for their abuse of children,” FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle said. “There is nothing more important to us than protecting children.”

The award winners are:

• Deputy District Attorney Cara Morlan of the 18th Judicial District Office
• Dawn Weber, Chief Deputy District Attorney in charge of the Cold Case Unit & the Human Trafficking Unit for Second Judicial District
• Senior Assistant Attorney General Janet Drake at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office
• Deputy District Attorney Katie Kurtz of the First Judicial District

Forty law enforcement agencies participated in this year’s Operation Cross Country with the Rocky Mountain Innocence Lost Task Force including:

• Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office
• Adams County Sheriff’s Office
• Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
• Arvada Police Department
• Aurora Police Department
• Blackhawk Police Department
• Broomfield Police Department
• Casper Police Department
• Central City Police Department
• Colorado Bureau of Investigation
• Colorado Springs Police Department
• Colorado State Patrol
• Denver Police Department
• Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
• Edgewater Police Department
• El Paso County Sheriff’s Office
• Englewood Police Department
• Evans Police Department
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Fruita Police Department
• Ft. Collins Police Department
• Glendale Police Department
• Golden Police Department
• Grand Junction Police Department
• Greeley PD Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office
• Glendale Police Department
• Golden Police Department
• Grand Junction Police Department
• Greeley Police Department
• Greenwood Village Police Department
• Homeland Security Investigations
• RM Innocence Lost Task Force
• Jefferson County DA’s Office
• Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
• Lakewood Police Department
• Loveland Police Department
• Mesa County Sheriff’s Office
• Ninth Judicial District Office
• Pueblo Police Department
• Pueblo Sheriff’s Office
• Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation
• Greenwood Village Police Department
• Homeland Security Investigations
• RM Innocence Lost Task Force
• Jefferson County DA’s Office
• Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
• Lakewood Police Department
• Loveland Police Department
• Mesa County Sheriff’s Office
• Ninth Judicial District Office
• Pueblo Police Department
• Pueblo Sheriff’s Office
• Teller County Sheriff’s Office
• US Marshals Service
• Vail Police Department
• Wheat Ridge Police Department

Press conference participants:

• Thomas P. Ravenelle, Special Agent in Charge FBI—Denver Division
• Michael Rankin, Director, Colorado Bureau of Investigation
• 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler and Deputy District Attorney Cara Morlan
• Second Judicial District Attorney Mitch Morrissey and Dawn Weber, Chief Deputy District Attorney in charge of the Cold Case Unit & the Human Trafficking Unit
• First Judicial District Attorney Peter Weir and Deputy District Attorney Katie Kurtz
• Senior Assistant Attorney General Janet Drake, First Assistant Attorney General of the Special Prosecutions Unit Rob Shapiro, Chief of Staff Melanie Snyder and Director of Community Engagement Jose Esquibel from the Office of Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman

OCC IX Results
Field Office	Child Victims Recovered	Pimps Arrested
Albany	0	1
Albuquerque	0	1
Anchorage	0	0
Atlanta	7	7
Baltimore	1	2
Birmingham	0	1
Boston	1	0
Buffalo	2	1
Charlotte	1	0
Chicago	3	0
Cincinnati	1	0
Cleveland	4	1
Dallas	5	3
Denver	20	7
Detroit	19	12
El Paso	0	0
Houston	8	3
Indianapolis	1	1
Jackson	2	4
Jacksonville	1	0
Kansas City	4	8
Knoxville	0	2
Las Vegas	9	0
Little Rock	0	7
Los Angeles	4	3
Louisville	0	1
Memphis	2	0
Miami	1	0
Milwaukee	9	8
Minneapolis	0	5
Mobile	1	0
Newark	4	1
New Haven	0	0
New Orleans	3	7
New York	2	7
Norfolk	1	4
Oklahoma City	1	4
Omaha	2	3
Philadelphia	2	2
Phoenix	3	7
Pittsburgh	0	2
Portland	3	3
Richmond	1	3
Sacramento	5	8
St. Louis	0	0
Salt Lake City	0	0
San Antonio	4	0
San Diego	0	0
San Francisco	6	7
Seattle	3	11
Springfield	0	0
Tampa	6	6
Washington Field Office	0	0
Total	152	153