SAN ANGELO, Texas — If you’ve scrolled through social media, you may have seen posts of people claiming they have been targeted for alleged sex trafficking. Men, but especially women, claim they’ve noticed strange items on their vehicle windshields and substances on their vehicle door handles.
Traffickers are allegedly lacing random items with some sort of substance to make whoever comes in contact with them suddenly feel ill, then soon after pass out. This is when the alleged traffickers attempt to rob or kidnap people.
But is this actually confirmed by authorities to be a part of a sex trafficking scheme or is this something rumored on social media?
Open Arms Rape Crisis Center & LGBT+ Services Victims Service Advocate Melissa Hernandez said there’s only a one-in-five chance a random sex trafficking kidnapping happens. Most of the time, it’s someone the victim knows.
“It's not likely that it's going to be someone driving in a white van or someone hiding outside, waiting to kidnap someone Yes that does happen, but many victims and survivors are forced in to human trafficking through grooming and control over the victim,’ Hernandez explained.
She said a lot of that is based around myths and how it is very important to understand that. If anyone does anything out of the ordinary, report it to law enforcement so it can be investigated.
San Angelo Police Department Public Information Officer Richard Espinoza said the department hasn’t seen any confirmed cases of human trafficking in the past year. Being aware of your surroundings at all times and calling law enforcement when you see anything suspicious can help alleviate bad situations from happening.
“It’s not to say that we haven’t investigated incidents regarding the possibility of human trafficking, but that we have not come across confirmed cases of human trafficking at this point for this year,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza also explained what exactly a human trafficker looks like and what to look out for.
“There is no real confirmed theory regarding the targeting of people by traffickers placing items on their vehicles. The majority of what people would see on social media could be construed as misinformation as traffickers are primarily targeting the poor, vulnerable, and those who are currently in search of a better life. Traffickers are primarily involved in organized crime and can be identified as pimps, gang members, diplomats, business owners, labor brokers, farm/factory owners, or a combination of all the above,” he said.
Here are some signs from the SAPD to help the general public recognize potential victims of human trafficking:
- Living with employer
- Poor living conditions
- Multiple people in cramped space
- Inability to speak to individual alone
- Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed
- Employer is holding identity documents
- Signs of physical abuse
- Submissive or fearful
- Unpaid or paid very little
- Under 18 and in prostitution
If you suspect there is a possibility of human trafficking, it is advised to call the National Human Trafficking hotline at 888-373-7888; or by texting 233733 regardless of where you are when you observe it.