In 2007, Briselda “N,” a 15-year-old Mexican girl, arrived in New York with the promise of a better future in the house cleaning business. However, she was unaware that her aunt and other relatives were involved in a prostitution ring that would force her to sell her virginity and subject her to commercial sexual relations with up to 20 men daily.
This case, recently tried in the Federal Court of the Eastern District of New York, is just the tip of the iceberg of a broader issue: sexual slavery affecting vulnerable women. In recent years, various criminal organizations have been investigated and prosecuted for exploiting women, especially in the counties of Port Chester, Yonkers, Ossining, and Brewster.
Exploitation occurs through deception and coercion, as seen in cases like that of Maria Rosalba, who fell victim to the Meléndez Rojas Organization. Although Maria was exploited for fourteen months, she quickly learned the patterns used by those who lure victims. These encounters often begin with false romantic relationships that quickly turn into kidnappings and sexual exploitation.
Victims are typically vulnerable women, such as undocumented migrants desperate for work, who often accept false promises from their exploiters. The UN identifies pre-existing factors, such as economic need, family problems, and deceptive romantic relationships, that contribute to human trafficking.
Despite the threats posed by traffickers, authorities in New York, and in most of the United States, offer help to trafficking victims. They provide shelter, legal and psychological support, and encourage them to report their captors. At the end of the process, women can obtain immigration status, such as the T visa, allowing them to stay and work in the United States.
Globally, human trafficking is the third most lucrative illegal activity, following drug trafficking and counterfeiting. Although there have been advancements in prosecuting human trafficking, it remains a less pursued crime compared to other sexual offenses. However, collaboration between the United States and Mexico has led to an increase in arrests and trials against trafficking networks.
Despite progress in the pursuit of justice, the problem persists, and official figures in New York show that cases of sexual trafficking are still low compared to other sexual offenses. Sexual exploitation continues in neighborhoods like Queens, where “carders” initiate the prostitution business by connecting exploited women with clients. Cases like that of the Cid Hernández Organization reveal the constant renewal of this scourge.
Sexual slavery remains a reality for many vulnerable women, and despite efforts to combat it, exploitation persists in the shadows of society.
