I was first exposed to human trafficking during my 26 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard. I conducted interdiction operations targeting human smugglers and traffickers and investigated trafficking involving children.
Human trafficking involves the exploitation of people through labor or services through force, coercion, or fraud. There are countless stories around the country of those trapped in sex slavery — they are drugged, assaulted, extorted, and abused. And this is just one of many ways that one can be trafficked. It’s an evil that is hard for most of us to comprehend.
Though trafficking happens everywhere, the lack of effective security at the U.S. southern border incentivizes it in a way that Americans don’t truly realize.
For the past five years, I’ve conducted research in Central and South America and have spoken with former human traffickers…
