WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2020) The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a new division, the Center for Countering Human Trafficking, to consolidate efforts to combat modern day slavery that were previously fragmented throughout the DHS, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in remarks prepared for a ceremony opening the center on Tuesday.
"By aggregating these resources, the Center will serve as the central hub for victim support, investigative operations, intelligence and data collection and analysis, and training and outreach for law enforcement partners, civil society, and the public," Wolf said.
The two predominant forms of human trafficking - sex trafficking and forced labor - involve the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of commercial sex act or labor from a victim, Wolf said.
Wolf sought to clarify a common misconception that human trafficking typically involves smuggling people across international borders, emphasizing that most DHS investigations involving the crime are entirely domestic, with a majority of victims being US citizens.
Plans to centralize efforts to fight the crime, which Wolf characterized as modern day slavery, were first announced with the release of a DHS report in January that included plans to seize goods produced overseas with forced labor.
