1. Trafficking in Persons:
Forced Labor in the Bayou City

2. Modern Day Slavery
• Slavery is more prevalent today than ever before.
Second most common crime in the world.
• Annually, 2.5 Millions victims of human trafficking
worldwide. Estimated between 500K ~800K trafficked
through the U.S.
79% of victims are forced into prostitution. 17% are forced
into other forms of labor.

3. Trafficking Vs. Smuggling
Smuggling
• Trafficking is non-consensual.
Human trafficking can be domestic, intra-state, or
trans-national.
• Profits are derived from the exploitation of their labor
rather than their transportation.

4. What about Houston?
• Houston is a major hub for human
trafficking.
Top 10 destination worldwide for
victims of human trafficking.
• Top 5 U.S. cities for human trafficking:
New York, Los Angeles, Chicago,
Miami, Houston, Atlanta.
• #1 U.S. city for human sex trafficking.
#1 U.S. city for child sex trafficking.
• Location, demographics, heavy use of
migrant labor.

5. Prostitution & Labor
• 2005, Maximino Mondragon was discovered to be operating a major prostitution
ring in Houston, Texas.
120 women and girls were working as waitstaff, hostesses and other
domestic positions within the brothels.
• Victims of forced labor often submit only through use of rape and brute force.
• Prostitutes are not only female; laborers are not only male.
• Conservative estimates place 425K people into forced labor each year around the
world.

6. La Raza and Trafficking in Persons
Location on U.S-Mexico border
Dependent on migrant labor
force:
agriculture, textiles, construction,
manufacturing, shipping and
transportation
Thriving hospitality, food service
and tourism industries
Large Hispanic population;
multinational population
Conditions along the Southwest border contribute to the immense
exploitation of Hispanic foreign nationals.

8. Julio Cesar Morales
Phantom Sightings, 2008
Undocumented Interventions, 2009

9. Signs & Symptoms
Hotlines
Hotlines
Credits