Friday, February 2, 2006 - It's important to establish the difference between human smuggling and human trafficking. Smuggling is when people pay to be taken across the border illegally. Trafficking, on the other hand, goes a lot further. In many cases, victims of human trafficking are detained against their will and forced into slave labor. Law enforcement officials say they discovered a human smuggling operation during a standoff in San Elizario late last month. Another major local case of human smuggling was brought to light just last week. This time, 15 victims were facing inhumane conditions while hidden inside the secret compartments of three semi-trucks. 

"Once the victims arrive in the United States, the traffickers then tell them, 'You know what? You're not free to leave. You owe me five, ten... In some cases we've heard 20-thousand dollars for taking care of your travel to the United States. Now you're going to work it off.' " Paul Pinon heads the El Paso Police Department's Human Trafficking Task Force.

The police department is asking the public to be on the lookout for human traffickers. Task force billboards to raise awareness can already be seen on city streets and along highways, rotating in different areas of the city. Posters have also been strategically distributed to places where victims are most likely to see them. For example, in restaurants, truck stops, and strip clubs.

Victims of human trafficking are often kept in fear.

"Traffickers will tell them, 'If you cause me problems or you don't work hard, I'm going to call immigration on you.' And the victims don't understand that they're being exploited and they don't realize that they have rights under U.S. law.", adds Pinon. Furthermore, prosecuting their captors is difficult because they have to be caught in the act. The criminals know it's a low-risk, high-reward operation, compared to drug or weapons trafficking, which carry stiffer penalties and are easier to prove in court.