Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and federal prosecutors in Alabama are doubling down on the fight. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama has named Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier Carter as the new coordinator of its Human Trafficking Task Force. His mission: dismantle trafficking networks, protect victims, and bring traffickers to justice across one of the nation’s most vulnerable corridors for exploitation.
U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance made the announcement from Birmingham, declaring that the task force will sharpen its focus on prosecuting traffickers who prey on the defenseless—abandoned children, runaways, and undocumented immigrants too afraid to speak. “Mr. Carter will lead our task force as it continues to coordinate with federal and state law enforcement to raise awareness of the problem and focus resources on investigating and prosecuting human trafficking crimes,” Vance said. The appointment signals a strategic escalation in a battle long fought on fragmented fronts.
The task force operates in tandem with local agencies, including the Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force—one of the few in Alabama with a formal partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign. Cullman County is only the second in the state, alongside Jefferson County, to join this national initiative aimed at exposing trafficking rings and educating the public on how to spot the signs of exploitation.
Through the DHS partnership, co-branded Blue Campaign materials will flood public spaces, schools, truck stops, and courthouses across Cullman County. The campaign is designed to arm medical providers, educators, law enforcement, and business leaders with the tools to detect and report trafficking. “We cannot combat human trafficking alone,” said Blue Campaign Chairwoman Maria Odom, who signed the agreement with Cullman County Chairman Kenneth Walker. “This partnership ensures communities know how to act when they see the signs.”
Cullman County Presiding District Court Judge Kim Chaney called the partnership a turning point, saying it will grant local agencies access to “world-class resources” to fight human exploitation. The county has already hosted free public trainings with the Blue Campaign and collaborated with the Northern District’s task force on internet safety initiatives targeting at-risk youth. The new phase focuses on tailored outreach to attorneys, juveniles, and the trucking industry—key frontline observers in trafficking interdiction.
The Blue Campaign works across law enforcement, government, and nonprofit sectors to protect freedom and punish traffickers. For more information, visit https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign, or contact Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier Carter at (205) 244-2001.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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