Human trafficking might seem like a far-off issue, but it’s a problem even in the Four Corners region.
Its unexpected prevalence close to home was a key message Kara Napolitano from the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking delivered at a Montezuma County-sponsored training Tuesday evening.
She honed in on different forms of human trafficking and warning signs for local citizens, organizations and health care providers.
“I used to think that human trafficking was a thing that happened ‘over there,’ wherever ‘over there’ is,” said Napolitano, who worked and volunteered for nongovernmental agencies in Africa, the Middle East and Asia before focusing her work locally.
This was the second time in the past few months Napolitano has visited Montezuma County. The training was intended to help inform local entities on what human trafficking is and what it looks like.
“I want to make sure we’re all on the same page,” Napolitano said.
Defined as “a severe form of exploitation for labor (including sex) through the use of force, fraud, or coercion,” human trafficking was only officially defined by the United Nations in 2000, Napolitano said.
The “force, fraud or coercion” element is crucial in identifying human trafficking internationally, but in the United States, an exception is made for those under 18 involved in commercial sex acts.
“If you’re under the age of 18, you shouldn’t be arrested for it, because you’re identified as a victim,” she said.
Labor trafficking is a serious problem globally and closer to home, in Colorado, in occupations including agricultural, hospitality businesses and construction.
In the northwest part of the state, sheepherding landowners began bringing in indigenous, Quechua-speaking community members from Chile and Peru to work their land in the 1960s and ’70s, paying them $750 a month for 24/7 work, she said.
They were isolated and dependent on landowners for food and water, and many, who did not speak English or Spanish, were ideal targets for exploitation.
It doesn’t mean trafficking occurs in all sectors of the sheepherding industry, she emphasized.
“But we’ve had several cases of extreme exploitation and some cases of definite trafficking in that region,” Napolitano said. “There is an uneven power dynamic there.”
There are all types of vulnerabilities that could lead someone to be a more susceptible trafficking victim, she said. Language and cultural barriers, poverty, immigration status and age are all factors. Tribal lands can also face their own challenges, including historical oppression, lack of economic opportunity, and even difficulties posed by geographic isolation, such as poor cellphone reception or internet.
In this region, she is aware of one labor trafficking case that has been prosecuted. But according to local service providers, many other instances of trafficking have not been prosecuted.
“Our numbers only tell a little drop in the bucket of the story of human trafficking,” Napolitano said. “Because so many people, B, don’t self-identify as a victim, or B, are afraid to report.”
There are all types of red flags for trafficking – although these flags could indicate any number of problems. Warning signs might look like unexplained injuries, malnourishment, frequent pregnancies, paranoia, addiction to drugs or alcohol, and homelessness.
Ultimately, human traffickers exploit victims by offering them what they don’t have: income, shelter, food, love and acceptance.
“People are searching out for these vulnerabilities,” Napolitano said. “We need to be doing better – much better – at offering these things to our community members.”
Colorado has a human trafficking hotline. If you or someone you know needs to report tips, request referrals, or get help, you may call 866-455-5075 or text 720-999-9724.
