[Swanks]

"Spotters," paid to watch for attractive women on vacation as potential sex slaves guide them into a bar to be drugged and then out into a waiting car and boat for transportation to mainland or island bordellos.

Ah! Couldn't figure an angle where a punk 17 year old would be hanging with 26+ year old, major league criminals. If the theory pans out JVDS was used to make the initial contact, get in the orbit, of 17 - 20 year olds.

[cajungirl]

Odd, my gut tells me that scenario is wrong unless Sloot was freelancing, making his own deal with somebody. Acting like a gangster to make some money.

Human Traffickers would not pick an American teenager on vacation in Aruba, they just are too smart for that. They pick runaways, street kids, poor kids. Criminal cartels like this don't involve people who will make a fuss.

Sloot may have done a dumb thing. But I still think he started something with her and it went wrong, either others got her or whatever. I am piecing it together.

Seems to me the entire criminal big time stuff is background, the context in which this occurred. Sort of like a mugger mugging someone in a Mafia neighborhood and suddenly all hell breaks loose from the Mafia and from LE who are "bought off" or just trying to do their job.