Expanding surveillance capacities would entail enhancing existing detection systems and working to stop trafficking through surveillance coordination with the Mexican government.

Immigration reform, legislation with harsher penalties for the manufacture, possession, and distribution of synthetic drugs, and training drug enforcement organizations on human trafficking and smuggling investigative approaches can help combat TCOs. Collaborative and multifaceted steps are needed to address this nexus between drug and human trafficking, which include:

Prevention of migrant smuggling – Aside from proactive investigations and disruptions of TCOs, other measures are key in addressing migrant smuggling, such as accurate information about smuggling risks for migrants to make educated decisions about their journeys. Some technology-based initiatives could disseminate information by sharing migrants’ experiences and the dangers of their migration journeys.

Immigration reform – Current immigration policies provide opportunities for TCOs to victimize migrants. Migrants who involuntarily congregate along the Southwest border awaiting their eligibility to seek asylum may contemplate alternate avenues to U.S. entry, thus increasing their vulnerability to extortion and kidnapping.

Prosecution of traffickers – The criminal justice approach or “all-crimes approach” to counter trafficking is critical for dismantling TCO trafficking networks, preventing trafficking, and protecting its victims.

Utilization of an Enhanced Collaborative Model – Multidisciplinary teams should include law enforcement, prosecutors, medical staff, mental health staff, forensic interviewers, victim services specialists, advocates, housing personnel, treatment facilities, and personnel, nongovernmental organizations, and travel and transportation personnel, all with an understanding of the victim-centered approach.

The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force enhances funding and training budgets to target high-level transnational, national, and regional criminal organizations. This task force provides investigative funding and intelligence-driven strategies, ensures U.S.-Mexico cooperation along the Southwest border, and offers an assortment of assets globally. Programs should not be reduced, but some of this funding should be reallocated from enforcement to education.

The High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program is part of the National Drug Control Strategy to assist and coordinate law enforcement agencies by addressing drug threats, trafficking, and production in the U.S. This program recognizes the expansion of Mexican cartel activities. Providing training to regional High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas offices can help identify human trafficking victims during narcotics investigations.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury to safeguard the U.S. financial system by combating money laundering and terrorist financing. This network supports law enforcement with expertise in narcotics money laundering and should utilize its current monitoring system for monetary commodities to flag financial transactions associated with the movement and sale of human commodities.

The High-Intensity Financial Crimes Areas program complements the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program by focusing on the financial aspect of transnational crimes in Northern and Southern California, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Puerto Rico, South Florida, and along the Southwest border. Better integration across the enhanced multidisciplinary team approach would help combat the illicit human-drug trafficking enterprise across the U.S.

The President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons is comprised of 20 federal agencies tasked with coordinating governmentwide efforts to combat human trafficking. Its primary focus is enforcing criminal and labor laws, victim-centered and trauma-informed assistance, data collection, education, public awareness, foreign aid, and diplomatic engagement. The Human Trafficking Institute’s 2022 Federal Human Trafficking Report states U.S. federal prosecutors concentrated 97% of trafficking prosecutions on sex trafficking and only 3% on forced labor cases. Conversely, experts estimate that 70% of persons trafficked are forced labor. Better agency-wide coordination would provide data-driven intelligence by improving the collection and sharing of statistical data pertaining to the types of prosecutions.

Human trafficking task forces – The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations have limited resources applied to human trafficking task forces within their domestic field offices. Much like the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the establishment of human trafficking task forces at the 56 FBI field offices could better combat the drug trafficking nexus.

Easily accessible, low-cost training and education in human trafficking recognition for the public, law enforcement, and the judicial system – Screening for human trafficking indicators is necessary any time law enforcement officials identify migrants during operations associated with migrant smuggling. Educating first responders in recognizing trafficking, using a trauma-informed approach, and employing investigative procedures is critical as they are likely to be the first to encounter victims and perpetrators. Additionally, educating judges, prosecutors, and jurors to better understand human trafficking crimes could result in more effective prosecutions.