Possible Human-Trafficking Ring Discovered In Loudoun

nbc4.com. Washington DC ^ | April 28, 2006 | News Desk

[CJinVA]

Possible Human-Trafficking Ring Discovered In Loudoun 14 People Taken Into Police Custody

POSTED: 5:56 pm EDT April 28, 2006 UPDATED: 7:14 pm EDT April 28, 2006

Loudoun County, Va. -- A Loudoun County police officer recently uncovered a possible human-trafficking ring, and now 14 people are in the custody of federal authorities.

Police said they believe that the group, all of whom are believed to be illegal immigrants, had traveled from the southwestern part of United States border to Virginia.

Each of them is believed to have paid $1,500 for their transportation, authorities said. Their final destination was unclear.

The possible ring was discovered by a sheriff's deputy who was driving on Charles Town Pike near Waterford around 12:15 a.m. Thursday.

The deputy said he saw a suspicious pickup truck with Oklahoma tags in the parking lot of the Waterford Shell gas station. The officer said he then shined a light into the vehicle and noticed several people crammed inside. Three people were in the front seat, four were in the extended-cab area and seven were located in the bed of the truck, according to the deputy.

Special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement responded to the scene and took all 14 people, which included 12 men, a woman and an underage girl, into custody.

The possible human-trafficking incident remains under investigation.

[Fairview]

Upmarket Waterford is not the place to blend in unobtrusively if you're driving a truck with a bunch of illegals in it. Talk about lily-white--!

[Lurker]

Just trading in the human beings that Americans don't want to trade in.

They need to threaten this flesh merchant with the rest of his life in the Federal pen until he gives up the name of the employer who was waiting for this 'delivery'.

Then that person needs to go to prison for the rest of their natural life.

L