Despite the Trump administration's stated priority on combating sex trafficking, federal prosecutions have decreased by 22% this year due to staffing shortages, funding cuts, and a shift in resources toward immigration enforcement.
The Trump administration awarded a controversial $158 million no-bid contract to Our Rescue, formerly Operation Underground Railroad, to provide legal services for unaccompanied migrant children, drawing criticism over the group's lack of immigration experience.
Suspected international crime boss Daniel Kinahan was extradited from the UAE to Ireland and charged with directing a criminal organization following a special court sitting in Dublin.
The US state department announced $1bn in security assistance for Colombia following the inauguration of rightwing President Abelardo De La Espriella, who pledged to crack down on drug trafficking and armed groups.
An incarcerated woman fighting for the right to freeze her eggs has been granted leave to appeal a lower court decision in the High Court of Australia.
US President Trump has personally urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to address transnational criminal organizations involved in Southeast Asia's online scam industry and fentanyl trafficking, with the US pushing for Chinese crime bosses to face international accountability.
An Indian-origin man and four co-defendants were convicted at Caernarfon Crown Court of over 40 offences including human trafficking, rape, and child sexual exploitation targeting three teenage girls in North Wales.
More than 1,100 people, including torture and trafficking survivors, have been convicted of illegally arriving in the UK via small boats or lorries since 2022, according to Freedom of Information data.
Former Pakistani state minister Rukhsar Ahmed was arrested in Manchester in July 2024 on suspicion of 1990s child rape and trafficking, and is currently on police bail.
Federal agents investigating cocaine trafficking in New Mexico discovered 60 snakes—including venomous cobras, mambas, and an inland taipan—alongside half a pound of cocaine, three firearms, and $22,000 during a raid in the South Valley near Albuquerque.
A high court judge has ordered the Home Office to return an alleged trafficking victim forcibly removed to France under the 'one in one out' scheme, in a first-of-its-kind ruling that quashed a policy denying reconsideration of trafficking claims.
Thousands of talibés, young Qur’anic students, are forced to beg daily in Senegal, often facing abuse and exploitation by some marabouts who profit from the practice. Human rights groups highlight this as human trafficking, while government efforts to end it are deemed limited and ineffective.
Imprisoned former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro welcomed dialogue for peace and reconciliation, ahead of a US-backed meeting between Venezuela's interim government and opposition leaders. Maduro, held in New York on drug and firearms charges, conveyed his message via Telegram.
The Home Office has confirmed at least five victims of former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed as human trafficking survivors. This follows calls from abuse survivors for the Metropolitan Police's Operation Cornpoppy to focus on trafficking, with cases spanning from the 1990s to after 2010.
Morocco's Interior Ministry attributes the mass migrant crossing into Spain's Ceuta enclave to social media misinformation and human trafficking. The incident, involving about 40,000 people, alarmed the EU and led Italy to suspend Schengen travel from Spain. Spain seeks more border resources.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledges "relentless" action on small boat crossings, advocating for safe routes and EU dialogue, following Spain's return of 98% of 50,000 migrants from Ceuta to Morocco. UK crossings are down 43% year-on-year.
Liberia is battling a widespread kush crisis, devastating families and disrupting young lives, while authorities uncover large-scale international cocaine trafficking through the country. Despite a public health emergency declaration, limited rehabilitation options and low conviction rates for traffickers highlight systemic challenges.
Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, brother of slain cartel leader "El Mencho," pleaded guilty in Washington to conspiring to traffic cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for November 13.
Spain's PM Pedro Sánchez blamed trafficking gangs after approximately 60,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, leading to at least 57 deaths. Sánchez called it a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity," prompting Italy to suspend Schengen arrangements with Spain. Over 48,000 have voluntarily returned.
Indigenous leaders on the Brazil-Peru border report their communities are "taken hostage" by organised crime groups involved in drug trafficking, illegal logging, and mining. The Asháninka people, facing severe threats, appealed to the Brazilian government for permanent security presence and protection, warning of disastrous self-defense if the state fails to act.
An Indonesian court convicted 19 people for baby trafficking, including at least 12 babies sent to Singapore. The verdict concludes the case but leaves the legal status and future of the adopted children in Singapore uncertain, causing anxiety for adoptive parents.
Indonesia's Child Protection Commissioner states that recent illegal adoptions and baby trafficking cases, including a syndicate that trafficked 28 babies to Singapore, are just the 'tip of the iceberg'. Poverty is identified as a root cause, with vulnerable mothers selling newborns due to financial hardship.
Former Barclays CEO Jes Staley appeared before US lawmakers for a closed-door interview regarding his past ties to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This follows a UK regulatory investigation that led to Staley's resignation and a ban from the UK financial sector.
Binance has partnered with UK nonprofit STOP THE TRAFFIK to enhance its capabilities in identifying and investigating cryptocurrency activity linked to human trafficking and child exploitation, receiving specialized intelligence and training.
