Combat human trafficking in our area

It’s estimated that between 18,000 and 20,000 victims are trafficked into the U.S. every year

FILE - In this Tuesday, June 12, 2012, file photo, the hands of a bonded child laborer are seen... — FILE - In this Tuesday, June 12, 2012, file photo, the hands of a bonded child laborer are seen as he sits in a police van after being rescued during a raid by workers from Bachpan Bachao Andolan, or Save Childhood Movement, at a garment factory in New Delhi, India. With classrooms shuttered and parents losing their jobs, many children are working in farms, illegal factories, brick kilns and roadside stalls, reversing decades of progress to stop child labor. In rural India, a nationwide lockdown imposed in March, 2020, pushed millions of people into poverty, encouraging trafficking of children from villages into cities for cheap labor. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer, File)(Kevin Frayer | AP)

Published: Jan. 12, 2021 at 11:36 AM CST

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) -In light of Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month, local law enforcement agencies are reminding the community about the importance of reporting suspicious activity.

It’s estimated that between 18,000 and 20,000 victims are trafficked into the U.S. every year.

Laredo Crime Stoppers says no child should ever be bought or sold through sex trafficking and that one report to one person can make all the difference.

To report any suspicion of human trafficking activity you can call 1-800-843-5678.