Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on recent federal law enforcement actions in combatting human trafficking:
 
“The FBI’s Operation Cross Country and the recent shutdown of MyRedbook.com are good news as we work to combat human trafficking, both internationally and here at home.  These recent federal law enforcement actions have resulted in hundreds of arrests and the identification of 168 child victims.  The rescue of 27 sexually exploited children in California shows that trafficking is not just a faraway problem in developing countries.  Kids are being abused and even sold right here in our own communities.  My hope is that these developments will encourage all to be even more vigilant in recognizing and reporting the signs of human trafficking, so that those who buy and sell our children will face justice.”
 
Note:  The National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline is available 24/7, and can be reached at 1-888-373-7888, or by texting HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733).
 
Chairman Royce’s statement following last month’s release of the State Department’s 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report is HERE.
 
Chairman Royce has previously urged Attorney General Eric Holder to take action to shut down sites such as MyRedBook.com.  Last year, Chairman Royce held a number of hearings on human trafficking, including a field hearing to examine international human trafficking and to assess efforts to combat trafficking at the international, Federal, State and local levels.  He also launched a Human Trafficking Congressional Advisory Committee (HTCAC) to address human trafficking concerns, as well as offer policy recommendations; the HTCAC is comprised of victims’ rights groups, local and federal law enforcement agencies, and community advocates.

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