Team Of Retired U.S. Navy Seals Are Saving Teenagers From Human Trafficking

Dec 19, 2019 by apost team

Shocking though it may seem, human trafficking is still a major issue in the United States. In 2016, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received over 8 million reports about suspected human trafficking. The same year also saw the National Human Trafficking Hotline investigate 7,621 cases.

To combat the scourge of human trafficking, private investigator Joseph Travers co-founded an organization called Saved in America, or SIAM, in 2014. Travers and SIAM’s group of heroic volunteers search for missing children who are exploited by human traffickers.

Among the organization’s elite teams are police detectives and former Navy SEALs. The organization’s motto, which is emblazoned on many of the shirts they wear, is “Child Saved Not Sold.” Travers was inspired to form SIAM by the 2009 murder of Brittanee Drexel, who had been abducted by traffickers. Travers says that SIAM’s main function is to help parents when they do not know how to find their child.

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One of SIAM’s first cases took place in 2016. The organization was tasked with finding a girl who had gone missing while out riding her bike. After being on the case for barely a week, SIAM investigators rescued the child, who had been abducted by a group of criminals who planned on selling her into slavery.

As of last year, SIAM has a 100 percent success rate on their caseload, saving 58 children. In total, the organization has saved 223 kids in their 5 years of operation. Of that number, 60 percent were located before criminals could traffic them.

Additionally, SIAM provides rehabilitation, safe housing, and legal representation for those who have been victimized by traffickers. The organization has since been praised by many professional law enforcement officials. Mike Williams, a sheriff’s officer from Duval County, Florida, said that by partnering with SIAM, law enforcement can better serve the public good and make a difference in the lives of those who are victims of human trafficking.

What do you think of Joseph Travers and Saved in America? How do you think law enforcement should go about solving the problem of human trafficking? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and famly!