Thread: NC-First Human Trafficking Victim Rescued In Guilford County

First Human Trafficking Victim Rescued In Guilford County
Ashley Smith Created: 5/8/2010 9:05:27 PM Updated: 5/8/2010 9:10:29 PM
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Greensboro, NC -- Guilford County deputies and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement or "ICE" task force believe they rescued a female human trafficking victim.

Tips led deputies to believe human trafficking was happening in the home on 700 English Street in Greensboro. When they showed up with a search warrant Friday night, someone inside the home started shooting.

The suspected shooter, Reyna Isabel-Reyes Caballero from Honduras, has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Detectives are also looking into charging Caballero with human trafficking law violations on the state level.

Colonel Randy Powers with the Guilford County Sheriff's Department said Caballero was one of four men inside the home holding a female against her will. He says all four men are in the U.S. illegally. He didn't reveal the age of the victim, but also said she is not from the U.S. "We have good reason to believe she was being forced to have sex with patrons that were coming in," says Powers when explaining the abuses the victim suffered.

Sandra Johnson, the founder of Triad Ladder of Hope, says that is just a portion of what she could have suffered, "They are traumatized, they are tortured, they are beaten, they are raped continuously, they are told that no one will help them, they are brainwashed to believe that police will not help them, that they'll arrest them, they'll deport them and they'll go to jail."

"Once we did the interview, she did reveal to us that she was being held against her will," says Powers, "If they were brought here against their will, or they are being held here against their will, they are a victim."

Powers said despite the fact this is the first human trafficking victim the department has ever rescued, that doesn't mean that it's not a problem in Guilford County, "It is something that needs to be addressed. It is an underground type operation that goes on. They are not real easy to spot."

Johnson agrees, "We don't know how large this problem is, but we know there is a problem here. Very few victims are rescued because most of the public are not aware that it happens here. They think it happens in other countries, but not in 'our city'. It's like 'not our town', but someplace else. But it does happen here." Johnson teaches about being aware of human trafficking. She says the red flags to look for are people who don't speak up for themselves, appear frightened, or seem to be controlled by another individual. If you see these signs you can contact her organization or the police.


http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/arti ... 8&catid=57

Powers said despite the fact this is the first human trafficking victim the department has ever rescued, that doesn't mean that it's not a problem in Guilford County, "It is something that needs to be addressed. It is an underground type operation that goes on. They are not real easy to spot."
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B.S.! It's a lot easier to spot than drug dealing.

Woman rescued after investigators discover human trafficking operation in Greensboro; five arrested
Comments 11
May 09, 2010 5:21 PM

A woman believed to be a victim of human trafficking was rescued Saturday after deputies and federal officers raided a home in Greensboro.

Members of the Guilford County Sheriff's Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were received with gunfire when they entered the house at 700 N. English St., after receiving information of a possible human trafficking victim at that location, WXII TV-12 reported. A deputy returned fire, though no injuries were reported in the exchange.

After the execution of a search warrant and multiple interviews, police said they discovered that a woman who was in the residence was actually a true human trafficking victim, according to the TV station. She has been rescued and is working with ICE throughout the investigation.

"They are bringing them in for the purposes of illegal or immoral activities," the TV station quoted Guilford County Sheriff Col. Randy Powers as saying.

The alleged shooter has been identified as 37-year-old Reyna Isabel Reyes-Caballero. A native of Honduras, Reyes-Caballero, who had a Greensboro address, was charged with assault on a government official with a deadly weapon. Bond for that offense was set at $250,000, though he is also under a federal detainer due to an immigration violation, according to jail records.

Also arrested at the English Street home were: Constancio Aguileras Palmas, 25, of Reidsville; Vinicio Arrazate Calderon, 31, of Greensboro; Herculano Lopez-Garcia, 24, of Greensboro; and Jose Martinez Cruz, 26, of Reidsville. All four men were being held without bond under a federal detainer for immigration violations.

Charges relating to human trafficking law violations may be pending.

Powers told WFMY News 2 that the men, who investigators believe were holding the woman against her will in the house, are in the U.S. illegally. He didn't reveal the age of the victim, adding that she is not from the U.S.

However, he said investigators had "good reason to believe she was being forced to have sex with patrons that were coming in."

The investigation is ongoing.

http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/woman- ... human.html