SIAM - Saved In America Part 1
In nearly every civilization around the globe, human trafficking prevails, and contrary to what many people believe, the United States is not excluded from the horrifying reality. Every year around the world, millions of women, men, and children are kidnapped, deceived, coerced or lured away from their homes into some form of forced labor or sexual exploitation, a modern-day form of slavery. In many countries, people are trafficked for the purpose of occult rituals and medical exploration.
In the United States, there are several federal agencies working round-the-clock to combat human trafficking, most of which are under a parent body named the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF), a cabinet-level committee which controls the activities of several other agencies and departments across the country battling human trafficking. Also, there are other governmental and non-governmental agencies not under the control of the PITF but still serving the cause. These agencies work hand-in-hand to keep the vice under the rug, but they can only do so much. A trafficker could be someone a person trusts completely and would willingly follow to the ends of the earth. A person could desperately be in great distress and only a trafficker would come to them in the guise of a helper. These agencies give the best they can to rescue all victims, but they, unfortunately, can’t prevent every situation.
In 2016, the U.S National Human Trafficking Hotline received 7,621 reports of human trafficking. 6,244 cases were reported in 2017. The numbers are maddening because these are people with families and loved ones who may never find closure until the victims are found. The most vulnerable are children and young adults.
About 50 percent of all trafficking victims end up as sex slaves. It’s a reality that’s barely imaginable.
Mission: Child saved not sold
There are still people out there in the world who would give up their golden years of vacationing and relaxation to fight relentlessly in the battle to curb human trafficking. Saved in America (SIAM) is a non-profit volunteer organization made up of retired Navy SEALs turned private investigators, police detectives, police officers and other veteran law enforcement agents who are lending their skills to the fight.
At no charge to families, the San Diego based group has assisted the law enforcement in rescuing 208 missing children since 2014, 60% of whom were trafficked or taken against their will. The organization was founded by Joseph Travers, a retired police commissioner and licensed investigator from California. He was inspired to join the fight following the disappearance of Brittanee Drexel in 2009. The 17-year-old had gone on a Spring Break trip at Bar Harbor Hotel in South Carolina without her mother’s knowledge or permission. She reportedly went to another hotel to see a friend, and for the past ten years, Brittanee has not been seen. A 2016 report to the FBI from a prison inmate accused a gang of raping, shooting, and feeding Brittanee to alligators (although her remains were never found), but there was no concrete evidence to make a conviction.
The veteran further explains that families whose children are taken would usually find themselves at crossroads where they wouldn’t know which direction to take. As a way to aid government agencies and find missing children faster, SIAM helps in strategizing, investigating, and rescuing the victims to the best of their abilities. SIAM also connects the rescued victims to support groups and rehabilitation centers to help them cope with the trauma.
The Hearty Soul