Don't Mess With Texas

Abstract

The international issue of human trafficking is an all-too-familiar issue in many parts of the state of Texas. With areas like El Paso and Houston identified as some of the largest human trafficking hubs in the United States, it is important to understand how these areas, and others like them in the state, are responding to human trafficking. Using areas identified by CEASE Texas as having high sex trafficking solicitation activity, as well as publicly released information of law enforcement and community responses in these areas via internet search engines, a holistic understanding of combating human trafficking can be seen in metropolitan areas in Texas. This chapter concludes by examining what information remains unknown in these areas, and postulates about the intertwined relationship between human trafficking and other crimes against persons in the state of Texas.