DOJ releases a decade of data on human trafficking, drug offenses

The most trafficked group was girls 13-to-16 years old, the majority of whom were trafficked for 'commercial sex acts'

Published: July 31, 2024 6:02pm

The Justice Department has released a report on human trafficking and drug offenses in the U.S. from 2013 to 2022.

The FBI-authored report released Tuesday shows the southern U.S. has the most "reported drug offenses involved in human trafficking incidents."

The number of female sex-trafficking victims was 79.8%, compared to 14% for male male. For 6.2% of victims, their gender was not known.

Girls aged 13-to-16 were the most trafficked group, accounting for 3,278 of 7,021 trafficking victims, the report also shows.

The girls in this demographic were overwhelmingly trafficked for "commercial sex acts," with 2,908 victims trafficked for this purpose, compared to 370 victims trafficked for indentured servitude.

Most trafficking victims were white, 58.0%, compared to 24.9% of victims being black. The remaining victims were either Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander or of unknown race.

During human trafficking incidents, 400 items consisting of drugs or drug paraphernalia were seized. Marijuana was the most commonly seized drug, followed by amphetamines or methamphetamines, cocaine (excluding crack cocaine), and heroin.