Some Research

I was asked to compile some information for the website. Here is what I found.

Trafficking In Persons Report 2008
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/105385.htm

Excerpts Taken from U.S. Government Domestic Anti-Trafficking in Persons Efforts

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices initiated 182 investigations, charged 89 individuals, and obtained 103 convictions in cases involving human trafficking.

The USG continued to provide strong victim protection services over the year. Through FY 2007, HHS certified or issued eligibility letters to 1,379 victims of human trafficking since the TVPA was signed into law in October 2000. HHS certified 270 adult victims in FY 2007, and issued eligibility letters to 33 minors. Thirty percent of the total 303 victims were male, a significant increase from the six percent male victims certified in FY 2006. Certified victims came from over 50 countries globally and at least 63 percent of them were victims of trafficking for forced labor. Primary sources in FY 2007 of victims were Thailand (48), Mexico (42), Guatemala (25), Philippines (23), and China (21). Certification and letters of eligibility allow human trafficking survivors to access services and benefits, comparable to assistance provided by the U.S. to refugees. The HHS Per-Capita Services Contract implemented by civil society partners currently covers 125 sites across the country providing “anytime, anywhere” services to human trafficking victims.


Human Trafficking: Available Statistics 2005
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ncvrw/2005/pg5l.html

Due to the “hidden” nature of trafficking activities, gathering statistics on the magnitude of the problem is a complex and difficult task. The following statistics are the most accurate available, given these complexities, but may represent an underestimation of trafficking on a global and national scale.

Each year, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders (some international and non-governmental organizations place the number far higher), and the trade is growing. (U.S. Department of State. 2004. Trafficking in Persons Report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of State.)
Of the 600,000-800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year, 70 percent are female and 50 percent are children. The majority of these victims are forced into the commercial sex trade. (Ibid.)

Each year, an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States. The number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country each year is even higher, with an estimated 200,000 American children at risk for trafficking into the sex industry. (U.S. Department of Justice. 2004. Report to Congress from Attorney General John Ashcroft on U.S. Government Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Fiscal Year 2003. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice.)

The largest number of people trafficked into the United States come from East Asia and the Pacific (5,000 to 7,000 victims). The next highest numbers come from Latin America and from Europe and Eurasia, with between 3,500 and 5,500 victims from each. (U.S. Departments of Justice, Health & Human Services, State, Labor, Homeland Security, Agriculture, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. 2004. Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice.)

Attorney General’s Annual Report to
Congress and Assessment of the U.S.
Government Activities to Combat
Trafficking in Persons
Fiscal Year 2007

May 2008

http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/annualreports/tr2007/agreporthumantrafficing2007.pdf

ICE Investigations and arrests:

In FY 2007, ICE opened 348 human trafficking investigations, which consisted of 129 investigations of forced labor and 219 investigations of commercial sexual exploitation. ICE made 164 arrests, 118 for sex trafficking and 46 for forced labor. (Page 23)

Operation Predator is a comprehensive ICE initiative launched in 2003 to safeguard children from foreign national sex offenders, international sex tourists, Internet child pornographers, and human traffickers. In FY 2007, this initiative reached 10,514 arrests of child exploiters, over 5,872 of which have been removed from the United States. (Page 24)

In FY 2007, there were 15 child sex tourism indictments and 23 convictions in cases investigated by ICE. (page 26)

The number of federal investigations and prosecutions of trafficking has increased significantly since the passage of the TVPA. Nevertheless, as noted in the prior assessments, some observers have suggested that U.S. prosecutions are not numerous enough given past estimates of victims that may be trafficked into the United States each year. The difficulty of developing accurate estimates reflects the challenges of quantifying the extent of victimization in a crime whose perpetrators go to great lengths to keep it hidden and whose victims are reluctant to self-identify for fear of being treated as criminals or illegal aliens despite vigorous outreach campaigns and the existence of extensive benefits and immigration relief. (Page 29)

Domestic Cases:

KC man charged with sex trafficking, child pornography
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/story/867833.html

Location: Kansas City, Missouri 2008
Trafficker: Kansas City Man, 35
Victims: 4 women, one girl
Ethnic background: U.S. Citizens and Missouri residents


Leader of New York-Connecticut Sex-Trafficking Ring Pleads Guilty
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-14-2008/0004774504&EDATE=

Location: Bridgeport, Conn. 2008
Trafficker: Corey “Magnificent” Davis
Victims: An estimated 20 females among them were 2 minors, one being only 12.
Ethnic Background: Did not specify

Russian Crime Boss arrested on sex trafficking
http://genderberg.com/phpNuke/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=110

Location: Brooklyn, NY 2005
Trafficker: Asker “Osgar” Mammedov, 31
Victims: Women from Azerbaijan, unknown total, one was 16-17
Ethnic Background: Azerbaijan

Tennessee Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of Adults and Jeveniles
http://actioncenter.polarisproject.org/the-frontlines/recent-federal-cases/302-tennessee-man-sentenced-for-sex-trafficking-of-adults-and-juveniles

Location: Nashville Tenn. 2007
Trafficker: Juan Mendez
Victims: Two Girls ages 13 and 17
Ethnic Background: Latin American

Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of Minors
http://www.americandaily.com/article/23520

Location: Charlotte, N.C. 11/2008
Trafficker: Jorge Flores-Rojas, 44 an Undocumented Mexican National
Victims: Two underage females, One woman
Ethnic Background: Mexican, Honduran

This song got me thinking... got me remembering

Hands Held High - Linkin Park

On September 11th 2001 The Twin Towers fell. I was a freshman in College. My very first semester. My dad was driving me to school that day along with my sister. We were fighting about something. Just yelling back and forth. All of a sudden my dad yells at us and tells us to be quiet and over the radio the tragedy that was occurring 3,000 miles away was entering our reality. In a state of numbness I walked up the stairs to class only to be greeted by my professor as he was flying down the stairs declaring class to be canceled for the day. He was a “Cool” guy. The kind of guy who must have been popular in High School… dated the prettiest girls… Succeeded in all sports… could even out-drink my Grandpa… It was odd to see that panic suit him as well. I used a pay phone to call my dad and asked that he turn around and take me home where I spent the rest of the day watching the tv… I was surprised to see that I didn’t cry… I began to wonder why I couldn’t cry…at least … not until they showed pictures of charred dolls among the rubble… children went into the buildings…not all of them made it out.

Grief quickly turned to anger…

I was really upset when “The Day the World Changed” was being used everywhere. It wasn’t the day the world changed; it was the day we were introduced to it.

Anger turned to action…

One of the guys in my class was part of the Special Forces. Talk of war was everywhere. Some opposed it. Some craved it. He spoke of tactics and positioning. How the military was just waiting for the green light… how this war would be over and won in a manner of months… I looked at him and said, “My children will be born into this war” He just looked at me and scoffed. But here we are… seven years later… yeah… poor little stupid girl… she didn’t know what she was talking about…

It is not a people we are fighting... It is an Ideology

By George, I think I've Got It!

Ok… so I’ve been really sick lately. For some reason my body holds on to stress and tension harder than other humans. This causes my immune system a considerable amount of damage. Thus I know I need to take a breather when my health starts to go downhill.

I went home early from work and am currently relaxing wearing my favorite “Chicks With Brains” pajamas. They are my favorite pair because my big sister gave them to me for Christmas a long time ago, they are flannel, and they actually do have cartoonistic baby chicks wearing glasses and fuzzy slippers all over them. All things considering I am enjoying my time at home. My mother made my favorite Mexican soup, Posole, has been making me nice cold fresh fruit smoothies to help with my temperature, spent a majority of yesterday hugging me like when I was five years old, is making sure I take my medicine, and is looking after my cats while I get better.

During one of my fever induced coma/hallucination episodes I came to deeper understanding of my character… One, I act like a child when I’m sick and two... one of the reason why I haven’t entered into a serious relationship is that I have yet to find a man who would take care of me like my mom takes care of me. What she does for me, that’s true love. And, that's what I'm waiting for.

So while some women look for men who remind them of their fathers, I’m going to continue to wait for the man who reminds me of my mother… this scenario is only slightly creepier :)