Miami’s Sex Industry Drives Fastest-Growing Crime, Human Trafficking

Two hands showcasing red ‘X’s symbolizing human trafficking awareness. Photo courtesy of Nicholas Gercken, Unsplash.

Maya Washburn / Staff Writer

Miami is the third city in the nation with the most human trafficking presence, according to Glory House of Miami, a nonprofit for victims of sex trafficking. FIU’s United Nations Women student organization is bringing awareness to this issue.

Last week on March 18, the group organized a lecture focusing on Miami’s sex industry. The event was held as part of their Human Trafficking Lecture Series Week initiative. Susette Valdez, FIU alum and enrichment sustainability specialist and Director of Restored Masterpiece at Glory House, led the conversation.

“[Human trafficking] happens in our very own backyards, it can happen to a girl that’s sitting in your class or to a guy working nine to five without any pay,” said Valdez. “It can happen to anybody, even your own neighbor.”

Susette Valdez stands in front of stop sign with red ‘X’ on fist, symbolizing human trafficking awareness. Photo courtesy of Susette Valdez.

Glory House of Miami is a local nonprofit which empowers, restores and advocates for survivors of sex trafficking. Their services include medical and mental health, spiritual guidance, social services, legal support, reintegration, education and arts, vocational training and job skills training.

As an enrichment sustainability specialist, Valdez works directly with human trafficking 

survivors and focuses on their journeys toward recovery.

FIU’s UN Women graphic promoting the week’s human trafficking awareness events. Graphic contributed by FIU’s UN Women.

Valdez explained human trafficking takes forms of labor, sex and organ trafficking, and happens in plain sight in everyday life.

Human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world, according to U.S. Homeland Security. Valdez credits this to its continuous sale of sex traffickers, as opposed to drug sales.

“Once [a drug] is consumed, it’s done. You can sell a victim of human trafficking 10 to 12 times a night, and that’s just on one day,” said Valdez. “If you multiply that by seven days a week, 30-31 days a month, 365 days a year, you can just imagine the kind of trauma that each of these individuals encounter.”

Human trafficking does not discriminate. It simply preys on the vulnerable regardless of any other factors, Valdez explained. Runaway homeless youth, foreign nationals and people who have experienced abuse or violence are identified as vulnerable, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline

Glory House provides street, club and phone outreaches all throughout the city of Miami to actively prevent these situations.

“High points of trafficking can be Wynwood, Bayside [or] Miami Beach,” said Valdez. “We also do outreach to jails, massage parlors [and] strip clubs in Miami.”

Valdez said that Miami’s nightlife is a large contributor to its high human trafficking rates. She explained how these dangerous scenarios can escalate.

“People come from all over the world to Miami because [they think they] can party and nobody’s going to find out about it,” she said. “But it’s as simple as going out to have drinks with friends and somebody walks by, slips something in your drink, and you wake up in an unknown place with unknown people, already a victim.”

Glory House’s drop-in community center, Restored Masterpiece, is located in downtown Miami. It partners with local law enforcement and a local church to provide human trafficking survivors with free clothing, legal, medical and mental health services.

Valdez emphasized awareness is one of the main ways to combat human trafficking.

“Fear is not going to solve anything, but being equipped and being aware of your surroundings can save either your life or another person’s life,” said Valdez.

She noted key signs to identify cases of human trafficking, including seeing a person dressed inappropriately, unsure of their surroundings, not having forms of identification or a cell phone and seeming controlled by their suspected trafficker.

To report a suspected instance of human trafficking, Valdez recommends calling law enforcement first, as it is typically the quickest response. FIU also provides resources for victims and allies including the Initiative for Gender Violence Prevention, Student Alliance Fighting Exploitation, a sex trafficking solutions course and Miami-Dade outreach.

Valdez encouraged students to use their abilities and any support they can offer to better advocate for human trafficking survivors.

“Be selfless, show grace [and] make a difference,” said Valdez. “Whatever it is that you are working towards, whatever your purpose is [and] whatever your talent is, help people with that, because you were given it for a reason.”

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