An alarming epidemic is sweeping across the nation’s highways, drawing attention in the wake of one of the most significant child-smuggling busts in the history of the United States. This pressing issue involves human trafficking victims disappearing without a trace, often while being moved along interstate routes.

The unfortunate reality is that traffickers frequently utilize these vast networks of highways to transport victims, making detection and rescue efforts exceedingly challenging for authorities. Despite the growing prevalence of this issue, precise data on the number of victims trafficked along these thoroughfares remains elusive, primarily due to the clandestine nature of these operations.

In a significant move against this hidden crisis, a large-scale operation in November saw collaboration between numerous federal, state, and local agencies. This concerted effort led to the rescue of 122 missing or endangered children across ten states, as reported by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

Dubbed “Operation Home for the Holidays,” this mission stands as one of the largest child-recovery initiatives in the nation’s history. The operation successfully recovered children ranging from as young as 23 months to 17 years old, highlighting the grim reality of trafficking’s reach.

Interstate highways serve as the traffickers’ choice for transporting victims, rendering these individuals nearly invisible to law enforcement due to the anonymity provided by these sprawling routes. This rescue operation underscores the urgent need for increased vigilance and innovative strategies to combat this pervasive threat.

“Many have been through the unthinkable,” Uthmeier said, according to FOX13. “They’ve been trafficked. They’ve been exploited. They’ve been abused. They need our help now more than ever.” 

Of the victims rescued, 109 children were found in various cities throughout Florida, according to Uthmeier. Thirteen children were also rescued from other states and internationally.

Human trafficking is defined as “the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act,” according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Federal law enforcement reported 36 truck-stop-based instances of human trafficking in 2023, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. (iStock)

According to a 2024 report released by the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking, global traffickers earn more than $150 billion annually by exploiting victims for both commercial sex and forced labor. 

“While roadways, railways, waterways, and airways serve as vital arteries of global connectivity and commerce, these same networks can also facilitate the clandestine movement of individuals being subjected to human trafficking by concealing them amidst the vast flow of legitimate passengers,” the report states.

In 2023, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received a total of 9,619 confirmed reports of human trafficking nationwide, according to the report. Additionally, 16,999 potential victims were also identified by authorities. 

While the Hotline does not track transport-related cases, the report indicated there were 36 truck-stop-based instances of trafficking in 2023. 

Of the confirmed federal sex trafficking cases in 2023, transportation using private vehicles accounted for 38% of reported cases, according to the Human Trafficking Institute’s Annual Federal Human Trafficking Report. (iStock)

“These traffickers bring them from different cities and essentially sell them as human goods,” Toby Braun, founder of American Special Investigative Group, told Fox News Digital. “They sexually abuse them and also [force them] to create material for them.” 

Victims are often transported between traffickers using interstate highways throughout the country, with a particular emphasis on states and cities with marine ports and international airports.

“They may start in South Florida,” Braun said. “From South Florida, they go to Atlanta. From Atlanta, they pass through Charlotte. Oftentimes, they may put victims in safe houses there.” 

Braun added that from Charlotte, victims can then be driven to major metropolitan hubs, such as New York City. 

“You have [trafficking] in a lot of major cities,” Braun told Fox News Digital. “You have it in South Florida, in Miami, Atlanta, Houston, and in so many metropolitan areas – there’s a huge risk factor of human trafficking.” 

The DOT has emphasized that the transportation sector plays a key role in both facilitating and preventing human trafficking.

Of the confirmed federal sex trafficking cases in 2023, private vehicles were the most common form of transporting victims, accounting for 38% of reported cases, according to the Human Trafficking Institute’s Annual Federal Human Trafficking Report. 

Additionally, transportation using airplanes and rideshares each accounted for seven-percent of reported cases, respectively, according to the report. Commercial vehicles and rental vehicles each accounted for three percent, with two-percent of victims being transported by buses and one-percent by train. 

Braun points to organized criminal groups exploiting transportation methods throughout the country to move victims across state lines. 

“It makes it tougher because of the kind of resources [these groups] have and their ability to traffic people around, hide them in places and really oftentimes stay undetected,” Braun said.

Law enforcement also faces numerous hurdles when it comes to tracking down both traffickers and their victims, specifically when individuals are being relocated frequently. 

“They move people and are trafficking to other locations very quickly,” Braun told Fox News Digital. “So, a lot of times when law enforcement gets tips or information, by the time they respond, the victim is already in a completely different place. It could be in another city, or it could be another state.” 

Braun also indicated that many departments throughout the country lack the manpower or resources to track down traffickers when they are on the move, while suggesting authorities on both the state and federal levels need to further collaborate to track down criminals. 

“The FBI and Homeland Security are the two primary agencies in the United States that handle trafficking cases, largely due to the fact that they’re federal cases because they’re crossing state lines,” Braun said. “There has to be more collaboration between the federal partners and local partners, and more emphasis on the local partners having dedicated resources for human trafficking.” 

The DOT’s report echoes this sentiment, stating that the Department of Justice has “little to no data related to human trafficking offenses” involving commercial transit, while calling on officials to establish more robust data collection between federal and state law enforcement. 

The DOT did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

As a result, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched the “Your Roads, Their Freedom” campaign in an effort to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers on the signs of human trafficking. 

The campaign points to various indicators of victims being transported for human trafficking, including looking for two vehicles exchanging individuals, individuals flashing headlights at people in parking lots or chatter regarding a commercial company’s “sale” on citizens band (CB radio).

However, Braun acknowledges that the difficulty of tracking down victims often falls on public awareness of the issue wreaking havoc throughout the country’s most populous areas. 

“I think because there’s just not enough information out there to make people understand the real issue that’s out there, and to really highlight this epidemic that we’re facing as a country with human trafficking. I think more people need to know that this is a real problem for our country. It’s a real plague.”