So human trafficking of freed people is not a a new occurrence in that part of the country.
Just one more reason to leave the parts that flooded flooded.
Not a new occurance. And not isolated to New Orleans.
There are modern day slave trades going on.
New Orleans had a nasty sex tourism industry called G&F Tours.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1472612/posts
There are also networks in New Orleans and throughout the US that are bringing in immigrants, holding the hostage to work in nasty conditions, with the threat of punishment.
Keep an eye on ice.gov for almost daily updates on the immigration rings they are running down.
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/index.htm