Mexico Joins CVSA's New Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative

Greenbelt, MD…  Mexico is joining the U.S. and Canada for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's (CVSA) new annual three-day Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, an awareness and outreach effort to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about the crime of human trafficking, the signs to look for and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked.

Mexico's Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative is scheduled for March 15-17. In the U.S., the initiative is next week, Jan. 11-13. In Canada, it’s scheduled for Feb. 22-24.

According to the United Nations, human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception with the aim of exploiting them for profit. Men, women and children of all ages and from all backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world, including North America. 

Through a collaboration with Mexico's Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation, The Well of Life, the Citizen Council for Security and Justice of Mexico City, and Truckers Against Trafficking, a Spanish-language educational video on human trafficking and wallet cards were created and are available for distribution to drivers and motor carriers in Mexico. 

In addition, during the three-day outreach and awareness initiatives, CVSA jurisdictions in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will note human trafficking awareness and outreach data and submit that data to the Alliance. 

"As the Alliance launches this new annual human trafficking awareness and outreach campaign, we're pleased to have all three countries of this North American organization participate in the effort to eradicate the crime of human trafficking," said CVSA President Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

To find out what jurisdictions in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are doing to increase human trafficking awareness, contact the agency/department responsible for overseeing commercial motor vehicle safety in your area.