Several of our volunteer investigators were riding in a taxi in Latin America when they realized that the man driving was not just a taxi driver. In fact, his job as a taxi driver in this busy tourist area was a good cover for his more lucrative — albeit illegal — job of selling girls for sex. He had a catalog of more than 100 girls to choose from, and he was eager to show them off.
During the drive, the conversation turned to local entertainment options and the taxi driver, seeing that his passengers were potential customers, offered them girls. What he didn’t know was that his passengers were interested in his offer, but not for the reason he hoped.
Our investigators continued to ask questions. They were able to gather enough evidence for our team to pass on to local police. As a result, two taxi drivers were arrested and now face criminal charges. They were part of a larger ring that was involved in both drug trafficking and coercing and threatening girls and women into sex work.
We didn’t plan this operation. But sometimes we’re in the right place at the right time. Training, intuition, and quick thinking on the part of our investigators led to the successful arrest of these traffickers.
