Child Trafficking Cases Increasing in the Valley

Reported by: Farrah Fazal
Last Update: 11:15 pm

RIO GRANDE VALLEY - Somewhere in the valley smugglers are trafficking children. The trafficking of children is paying off a lot more than drug smuggling right now.

As the cops stop more drugs, cartels are having a harder time making money. This has them turning to human trafficking, particularly of children.

Robert Garcia works for Estrella House. He is the Executive Director. Ten thousand children have traveled through the centers halls in the last 10 years. Garcia says in the last two months he has seen a 50% increase in child trafficking cases.

Last week, Rio Grande City police rescued three teen girls smuggled into the US from Camargo, Mexico. Their smugglers raped them before forcing them into prostitution.

Trafficking drugs and people makes the cartels $30 Billion a year. The Texas Department of Public Safety numbers show trafficking in Texas' five most populous counties, including Hidalgo and Cameron County, generates $60 million dollars.

Garcia says 72% of trafficking cases are never reported.

Texas DPS statistic numbers show 10% of calls to the national human trafficking hotline come from Texas, more than any other state.

The Pharr police chief tells us he's assembling a law enforcement task force here in the Valley to catch more of these traffickers.

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