AUGUSTA, Maine - Law enforcement officers from state, local and federal agencies have formed a cross-border task force to combat human trafficking in Maine.
Bart Cahill, of the Department of Homeland Security, says police have been working to combat the problem that includes a mix of drugs, gangs and prostitution across the state.
“With this task force we’re just looking to build on those efforts, combine those efforts across the state," he said, “and hopefully bring more resources to bear on this problem.”
Thirty officers underwent training earlier this week on the scope and types of trafficking in Maine. They have been sworn in as federal officers to facilitate investigations across state lines, said Maine State Police Chief Col. Robert Williams.
“They have all been deputized as federal agents, which is where they will get their authority for some of the larger cases," he said. “There are 30 officers from throughout the country, and those are where the resources really come in, because these rings are not just national, they are international.”
Williams said the problem is more severe than most Mainers realize, with some women held in what amounts to sexual slavery by drug traffickers. Public Safety Commissioner John Morris agreed.
“As the commissioner, I get to hear from the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence - the sexual assault people - how much human trafficking is really going on in this state,” he said. “There is an absolute nexus to drug trafficking, both scourges that we must eliminate.”
The task force already has investigations under way throughout the state.
