Representative Sanchez Presses Homeland Security Officials to Address Sex Trafficking Across Mexican Border

Press Release

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-46), senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, today questioned Homeland Security Department officials about efforts to halt human trafficking across the Mexican border during a full committee hearing entitled, "Taking Down the Cartels: Examining United States -- Mexico Cooperation." After Rep. Sanchez's questions, Chairman McCaul suggested he would like to work with her on legislation on the issue.

"We know that these transnational criminal networks do a lot more than drug trafficking -- they'll do whatever is profitable. If guns are profitable, they'll traffic guns. If people are profitable, then they will traffic people. And we know that the same networks they are using to traffic drugs and guns are being used to traffic humans, especially women for sexual purposes.

"We're seeing a rise of this human trafficking along our border states, including my home state of California. What is the Department working on to cut into this really disgusting practice of sex trafficking? We're seeing trafficking particularly from Mexico, but also from our own big cities to Mexico. How can we buttress our local law enforcement to stop these crimes?"

The officials responded by noting the joint efforts among DHS and the Departments of Justice and State to address the issue and that they would like to continue to work with the Congresswoman on coordination with local law enforcement.

Rep. Sanchez also submitted testimony for the record from California's Attorney General Kamala Harris, who completed a study entitled, "Gangs Beyond Borders: California and the Fight Against Transnational Organized Crime."

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