Human Trafficking Rings, Exploiting Wyoming Residents, Wyoming 2023

Wyoming has witnessed a disturbing rise in human trafficking cases, with victims being exploited for labor, domestic servitude, and sex. U.S. Attorney Nicholas Vassallo emphasized, Whether it’s forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking, human trafficking is the exploitation of human beings for profit, and it has no place in today’s society.

The U.S. Attorney's Office remains committed to investigating and prosecuting traffickers within Wyoming’s borders. To achieve this, the office is working in conjunction with the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.

Key components of this strategy include the designation of a National Human Trafficking Coordinator and a National Child Exploitation Coordinator to oversee Department-wide efforts. Additionally, a Human Trafficking Working Group of U.S. Attorneys has been established to coordinate strategies for countering human trafficking threats.

The FBI has formed a specialized Human Trafficking Program Management Team to develop and disseminate expertise on victim-centered, trauma-informed anti-trafficking strategies. Furthermore, the Attorney General's Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance have been revised, including the delivery of survivor-informed training to relevant personnel on enhanced protections for vulnerable victims.

Efforts to combat forced child labor have been intensified, with the leadership of the interagency Forced Labor Initiative Steering Group conducting strategic assessments of forced child labor threats. The Child Labor Exploitation Task Force has also been participating in operations to identify and assist victims of forced child labor.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is also working to combat child sex trafficking, including through the release of the Department's 2023 National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction. Operations conducted by the FBI and its partners have led to the identification and location of 59 missing children and 59 victims of potential federal or state sex trafficking.

Defendant: U.S. Attorney's Office, Wyoming - (No charges specified, no defendant, no trial, no sentencing)

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wy/pr/us-attorneys-office-observes-national-human-trafficking-awareness-month