Part 153: The End of Human Trafficking? Governmental and Nonprofit Response
By Zachary Ellison, Independent Journalist
The month of January has been National Human Trafficking Prevention Month by Presidential Proclamation every year since 2010. According to the U.S. State Department, “There are estimated to be more than 27.6 million people — adults and children — subjected to human trafficking around the world, including in the United States.” The challenge is believed to be particularly acute in Los Angeles, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announcing last September 2024 a special intergovernmental task force to target trafficking in the Figueroa Corridor of South Los Angeles. Primarily, what occurs in this notorious district of Los Angeles is sex trafficking.
A broader countywide effort, the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force (LARHTTF) received $695,898 for fiscal year 2024 from the Department of Justice for efforts targeting human labor trafficking broadly. Asked for comment on the progress of the Figueroa Corridor Human Trafficking Initiative, which has a special focus on the trafficking of minors, Ciaran McEvoy, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, provided updates on three previously highlighted cases. One individual has been sentenced to life in a federal correctional institute; two others are facing trial in March and June for their alleged crimes. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office and City Attorney’s office did not respond to requests for comment on the task force.
Link: https://zacharyellison.substack.com/p/part-153-the-end-of-human-trafficking