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Modern day Slavery in Mexico and the United States
On December 3, Mexico City police freed 107 human trafficking victims who were forced to manufacture shopping bags and clothespins under "slave-like" circumstances.
Officials reported that the victims exhibited signs of physical and sexual abuse, and were also malnourished, as they had been given only chicken feet and rotten vegetables.
Twenty-three individuals were arrested and charged with human trafficking after one of the workers escaped and informed the authorities about the dire situation.
Despite that fact that Mexican states have enacted some forms of anti-trafficking legislation, there have been no criminal convictions of traffickers to date. In the coming months, it awaits to be seen if those captured on December 3rd will be convicted. While the discovery of this trafficking ring has made for lurid headlines, doubt regarding whether or not these criminals will be brought to justice illuminates the fact that Mexico still has a long road ahead in eradicating the destructive industry of human trafficking.