Father-Of-Nine Has Saved More Than 1,600 Children From Human Trafficking

Nov 06, 2019 by apost team

As a former agent of the CIA as well as for the Department of Homeland Security, Ballard has had his fair share of experience shutting down human trafficking rings. In 2013, however, the father-of-nine decided to go on his own way and started a foundation, Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R).

O.U.R aims to liberate and rehabilitate children that have fallen victim to Human Sex trafficking. 

In an interview with Forbes, Ballard explained why the work his organization does is desperately needed around the world. 

"The scope of the problem is vast; there are an estimated 27 million enslaved human beings in the world: more slaves than ever existed during the trans-Atlantic slave trade,” Ballard said. “Many are sex slaves, as sex trafficking represents the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world.”

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Ballard then explained that although there are many organizations around the globe that aim to help disseminate information as well as rehabilitate victims following their rescue, only a few are devoted to the direct capture and prosecution of the captors. 

The organization has since proven to be a success, with them saving 2,800 children from human trafficking since their founding, according to their website. They have also arrested over 1,500 traffickers from all over the world.

In order to catch the traffickers, Ballard and his team go undercover as “potential clients” to gain the criminals’ trust. 

"Because of the undercover skills of our operatives, foreign governments often seek out O.U.R. to assist in sting operations against child sex traffickers,” Ballard explained. “We keep the respective U.S. Embassies informed of our activities, and have been fortunate to count on their support and participation in a number of our rescues. Our motto is, 'We enter through the front door, or we do not go in at all,' and that formula has worked in countries as diverse as Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, and the United States."

What do you think of Ballard’s work as a liberator from human trafficking? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!