Excerpt from article in the Houston Chronicle
Houston’s mayor and regional law-enforcement officials said Thursday they plan to increase resources to combat human trafficking in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl — and continue aggressive enforcement after the big game is over.
The crime, which includes sex and labor trafficking, is a problem the city has dealt with “on a continuous, ongoing basis,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a midday news conference at City Hall.
City and agency officials said they intend to target human trafficking in advance of Super Bowl 51, which will take place Feb. 5 at NRG stadium, but they also stressed a need to recognize that the crime happens every day.
“This serves as an opportunity to highlight the importance of us utilizing all of our strategies to combat human trafficking,” Turner said. “We don’t want to be known as the hub in this region for it.”
Houston is considered a hub for human trafficking for various reasons. It hosts many conventions and major sporting events, and it’s located along major highways and close to airports and an international port.
“It’s sad, but true that right here in our community, people are being treated as sex slaves,” said Douglas A. Williams, an assistant special agent in charge with the FBI.
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“For the johns,” Acevedo said, “We’re putting you on notice today… When we arrest you, we will expose you for the sick person that you are.”
