The Warfighter and Human Trafficking

Transnational criminal organizations and terrorist groups engaged in human trafficking represent irregular threats that employ asymmetric methods within the broader context of irregular warfare. Understanding human trafficking is a tactic or resource used by irregular actors is key.

Human trafficking is a crime and a human rights abuse. Waste, fraud, and abuse, blackmail, espionage, “honeypot/honey trap” schemes for counterintelligence, bribery, the funding of terrorism, and criminal activities that weaken the ability of U.S. military forces at home and around the world have been linked to human trafficking and related activities.

In today’s world, as the warfighter confronts new adversaries, it is important to understand the nature and scope of human trafficking as well as its links to other forms of trafficking. As our fight for national security extends to narco-terrorism and other tactics of irregular and asymmetric warfare, warfighters must be trained on the signs and indicators of human trafficking and how to respond appropriately.