Human Trafficking in the Houston Area

The Greater Houston area is often touted by business and community leaders for its economy, proximity to the port and international trade, but these attributes are also connected to something else—human trafficking. The I-10 corridor, which runs through Houston and Katy, is designated as the No. 1 route for human trafficking in the country by the U.S. Department of Justice, and it is estimated that 25 percent of victims in the U.S. are trafficked through Texas.
"Human trafficking is considered a form of modern-day slavery through which individuals are forced to provide services or labor through the use of force, fraud or coercion.” said Edwin Chapuseaux, investigator with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
"Human trafficking is an offense against a person and a violation of civil rights,” he said. “With a trafficker, the person doesn’t let go of individuals. He wants them to make money for him and will hold onto that person as long as he can.”
Houston is considered a hub for trafficking due in part to the interstate highway systems that run through the area, namely I-10, which connects California and Florida.
Statistics:
- 10 to 30 million modern day slaves exist in the world today.
- After drug trafficking, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today – and is considered the fastest growing – generating $32 billion a year.
Texas Statistics:
- In 2008, 38% of all calls to the National Trafficking Resource Center originated from Texas.
- During the 2006 Department of Justice National Conference, Texas interstate 1-10 was identified as one of the main routes for human traffickers, with El Paso and Houston identified as major human trafficking centers.
- Under a federally-funded program, the Houston Task Force has investigated 68 cases of human trafficking and prosecuted 38 cases, resulting in 31 convictions since 2005.
For more about how iNeedPeace & EVOX are helping to stop human trafficking in the United States, click here.






