The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois is recognizing National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, joining with the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) to highlight ongoing efforts against human trafficking.
National Human Trafficking Prevention Month provides an opportunity for agencies such as DHS and DOJ, through the Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF), to increase operational activities, raise public awareness, and strengthen collaboration across federal, state, and local agencies. The goal is to disrupt trafficking networks, protect at-risk individuals, and bring traffickers to justice.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, “This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited. Under this administration we have seen an increase in human trafficking prosecutions, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month we reaffirm our commitment to prosecuting traffickers and encourage Americans to report instances of human trafficking in their communities.”
United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement, “Through the Homeland Security Task Force, President Trump is taking the fight directly to human trafficking networks and disrupting their modern-day slave trade while seizing their assets and arresting their kingpins and foot soldiers. The American people should not have to live in fear of cartels, gang bangers, and foreign terrorists preying upon the most vulnerable among us. The Homeland Security Task Force is the largest coordinated campaign against transnational criminal organizations in U.S. history, and I’m proud to co-lead it with Attorney General Bondi.”
FBI Director Kash Patel added: “During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the FBI reiterates our work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces to protect our communities across the country. The horrifying reach of human trafficking spreads far and wide. Homeland Security Task Forces are fighting back to disrupt these perilous networks and put a stop to that reach. The FBI will continue our investigations and bring justice to those exploited by human traffickers.”
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft commented: “During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable, pursuing traffickers with every available resource and working alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle the networks responsible for exploitation.”
In January 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14159 aimed at protecting Americans from threats posed by criminal organizations involved in smuggling and trafficking operations. Section 6 of this order directed that HSTFs be established nationwide with objectives including eliminating criminal cartels and gangs within U.S. borders; dismantling cross-border smuggling networks; focusing on offenses involving children; and using all law enforcement tools available under immigration laws.
Since January 20, 2025—through HSTF efforts—individuals accused of sex trafficking, drug distribution linked with transnational organizations, involvement in foreign-based fraud rings, or violent crimes have faced federal charges within the Southern District of Illinois.
In January 2026 DHS and DOJ increased resources dedicated to anti-trafficking measures which include identifying ongoing investigations at both federal (45 locations) and state (10 locations) levels—with special attention given to border states; coordinating victim recovery operations through partnerships between FBI squads/other task forces; collaborating with AMTRAK/FAMS on public reporting initiatives via QR-coded posters in train stations; advertising $250 million recovered from Backpage.com for victim restitution programs led by DOL-OIG; organizing seminars/outreach events at schools through DHS’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking highlighting HSTF’s role.
On August 25th last year HSTF launched a major initiative called September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide over a span of 43 days—which resulted in more than three thousand arrests along with large seizures:
– Over one thousand Sinaloa cartel members arrested
– More than eight hundred CJNG members apprehended
– Six hundred forty-one MS-13 members taken into custody
– Four hundred fifty-six Tren de Aragua members detained
– Seizure of over one thousand weapons
– Confiscation exceeding $3 million dollars
– Nearly ninety-one metric tons of narcotics removed
