More often than not, human trafficking cases do not mirror the synopsis of the hit 2008 movie, Taken.
Human trafficking exists here in the United States (not just overseas), very often hiding in plain sight. Many traffickers pose as friends, lovers, mentors, career helpers, etc., as a means of luring their victims in.
Do traffickers use white passenger vans to traffic children? Are kids being sold online via overpriced cabinets?
Check out @Polaris_Project's list of debunked myths to learn the truth about human trafficking (thanks @DHSBlueCampaign for the great share). https://t.co/a0J7iKWUZ2
— Operation Underground Railroad (@OURrescue) August 29, 2022
Coercion goes hand-in-hand with human trafficking, as do these predators’ tendencies to prey on their victims’ vulnerabilities.
One case in New York City shines a light on exactly that. Very recently, the FBI managed to uncover a human trafficking ring with a woman named Ysenni Gomez using job ads to lure in victims.
Reviewing this newly discovered human sex trafficking ring
Gomez’s strategy involved putting up job ads for waitressing at a Manhattan-based restaurant. When one woman responded to this ad, Gomez informed the woman that she had to either sleep with certain men or face deportation at the hands of federal authorities.
