Five Charged In Human Trafficking Bust In Chicago Area
At least five people have been arrested and charged following a multi-agency human trafficking bust in the Chicago area.
The investigation into the human trafficking operation began in the spring of 2022 and was prompted by the St. Charles police’s discovery of information about a brothel located near North 15th Street and Brook Street. Several other law enforcement agencies were called in to assist in the investigation, according to the Kane County Attorney’s Office.
Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser released a statement about the bust, congratulating the St. Charles Police Department for pursuing the human traffickers rather than solely targeting the victims by arresting them for prostitution.
“I want to commend the St. Charles Police Department for recognizing this situation as human trafficking and not one in which people are simply charged… and treated as offenders and not victims,” the statement read.
“A lot of times when law enforcement goes in, especially if they focus on this, for what the victim is doing… and they charged them with prostitution, all that causes the traffickers to get up and go into a different location,” the statement continued.
The charging documents accuse the suspects of conspiring to subject the victims to “commercial” prostitution “by causing or threatening physical harm.”
Law enforcement found at least ten victims of the human trafficking operation, all of whom had been brought from South Africa to the United States and held against their will at various locations throughout the Chicago area. Authorities further noted that their investigation uncovered that the human trafficking and prostitution rings had been widespread — revealing that alleged brothels were operating in Aurora, Chicago, Elgin, South Elgin, Hanover Park and Palatine.
St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan released a statement about the victims found at these various locations, who ranged in age from early 20s to early 30s — though they have not been identified by name, and have been taken into protective custody.
“There were two or so victims at each location,” Keegan’s statement read. “And each of those victims were taken into protective custody. It was like an onion. The more we peeled it back, the more it stunk and this is something that’s prevalent in society and society can’t tune a deaf ear to it.”
Mosser has praised law enforcement for their efforts in the investigation, noting that the probe is still ongoing, and more traffickers connected to the operation are likely to be found — as well as additional victims.
Four men and one woman have been charged as a result of the bust. According to One America News, the suspects include 57-year-old Martha Hurtado-Hernandez of Chicago, 26-year-old Daniel Hurtado of Elgin, 46-year-old Rigoberto Parra of Aurora, 27-year-old Christian Hurtado of Elgin and 54-year-old Hector Briseno of Chicago.
The suspects have already appeared in court and are being held on $5 million bonds.
This news comes amid a growing concern about the prevalence of human trafficking across the globe, and especially in the United States. The issue has been pushed to the forefront of political discussion in recent weeks thanks to the blockbuster film “Sound of Freedom,” which has prompted calls for harsher penalties for those convicted of trafficking — especially the trafficking of children.
