It’s a pleasure to have so many experts here at this symposium to address a serious global problem and a tragic crime - the trafficking and enslavement of human beings against their will - and against the law.

You have already heard some of the experts talk about the problem and what is being done. What I hope to add are the steps CBP is taking to address this issue, and why we all have a moral obligation to end these hideous crimes against humanity by working together in every way we can.

We Americans are a privileged people who live in a country whose very founding is based on respect for individual rights and liberty for all people. When this country was founded, our wise Founding Fathers created astounding documents outlining principles of freedom that have endured for over two centuries. And, for centuries, we have consistently fought and died to protect those freedoms and continue to fight for the rights of others to enjoy those same freedoms - in Europe…in Korea and Vietnam…and now in the Middle East. Freedom is not for sale. Human dignity can’t be bought or sold.

Our nation and our laws are built on this foundation of freedom, but we know there are those who - for money and power - will trample these laws and the rights of others.

CBP officers and Border Patrol Agents come across these atrocities every day. An example: in Riverside, California, CBP responded to a request for assistance from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for what they thought was a routine call for translation assistance. Instead, what they found was astounding. Sixty-four illegal aliens - men, women, and young people from Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, and El Salvador - held captive in a 1,000 square foot house that was in deplorable condition. Some of these people needed medical attention - and all were held against their will.

Unfortunately, this occurs all too often across our country - and around the world. The United Nations indicates that after guns and drugs, trafficking of human beings is the third largest source of money for organized crime. Trafficking generates billions of dollars in profit each year and is one of the world’s fastest growing criminal activities.

The State Department estimates are no doubt familiar to those in this room: between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked across borders each year - with as many as 17,000 right here in the U.S.

The majority are female. Most still children. Most trafficked for sexual purposes. Men, women, and children from Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa, too, are trafficked for forced prostitution, forced labor and domestic servitude.

In some countries, government corruption drives the trade. The marginalized status of women in many societies puts them at a higher risk of being targeted by traffickers. Many times they are promised jobs or educational opportunities. Desperate conditions, poverty and political repression drive these victims to seek a better life, only to become trapped against their will, in even more desperate conditions. They set out with high hopes, but all too often, those hopes are crushed and what they experience is modern day slavery.

Traffickers isolate them, take away their travel documents, and force the victims to rely on them. Most can’t speak the language and are fearful of their captors - not only what they will do to them, but what they threaten to do to their family members. Victims are often beaten and brutalized. They face diseases, tuberculosis, rape, disfigurement, and even murder.

Children are the most vulnerable. Street kids and runaways are defenseless and have no choice but to do what they are told. Many are forced into begging rings and beaten if they don’t bring in enough money. Others are forced to work in sweatshops, working from sun up until sun down - and sleeping on the floor.

As we all know, there is no end to what criminals will do to attain power and money - and the trafficking in fellow human beings is one of the most insidious of crimes. It’s an offense not just against the individual, but against humanity as a whole.

Law enforcement officers certainly have a part to play in stopping these atrocities of human trafficking. CBP - its officers and agents - are guardians of our nation’s borders. Vigilance is one of our core values. CBP has the widest authority of any law enforcement agency in our government, especially the authority to detain people or products at the border.

On any given day, the mass humanity that CBP encounters and processes through our ports of entry is staggering. Over 1 million a day - and over 400 million a year - at our official ports of entry. And, our Border Patrol agents and air and marine interdiction agents encounter hundreds a day in between the ports of entry.

We are uniquely positioned to intercept victims of traffickers - and the traffickers themselves. Our officers are frequently the first people these victims will see and there is a small window of opportunity to detect those who are being trafficked. Once that window closes, it may be too late to intervene and save them.

It’s sometimes difficult to detect human trafficking, but one of the most important ways we can fight against this heinous crime is to educate - both our officers and the general population.

We can train our officers so they know what to look for and how best to identify these situations. Last year, we launched a campaign to educate our officers and the public. All of our officers and agents have been trained to detect traffickers and victims of trafficking.

We have posted signs at airports and ports of entry in many languages besides English - among them, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese - to help reach out to potential victims of trafficking. We distribute information in these different languages to arriving visitors. This information lets potential victims know that we will help if they suspect they are a victim of trafficking.

As you’ve heard today, there is a clear distinction between trafficking and smuggling. Smuggling is voluntary. Trafficking is not.

When we encounter situations where we suspect trafficking, our officers refer them for secondary inspection. We have provided them training to ask questions creatively and be alert to signs that their freedoms are restricted. They ask how they arrived in the U.S. and whether they have control over their documents.

But, unfortunately, victims of human trafficking are much like victims of domestic violence. They may mistrust law enforcement because they are illegally in the country…or because they fear they will be punished for the criminal acts they were forced into. They may fear retribution on other family members. Or they may feel shame for what they have been forced to do. And, they may believe they have no rights.

One trafficking victim revealed: “I didn’t believe in police. I really believed what my trafficker said. My trafficker said they will put you in jail; they will send you back…She said in this country, dogs have more rights. And I believe. I believe everything she said because she’s been living here for a long time, she knows, she speaks English, she has money, everything…and I didn’t have anything.”

But victims of trafficking do have rights. Much like refugees, they may be allowed to stay in the country temporarily during an investigation or prosecution. Some speakers today have mentioned the special “T-visas” and “U-visas” that allow victims of trafficking to apply for legal permanent residence status. You will hear a presentation on these rights and protections later today.

Other laws protect the rights of victims, too. In 2003, President Bush signed into law the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act - and the PROTECT Act, which is the acronym for Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today. Both of these laws strengthen the tools law enforcement use to combat trafficking.

And programs, such as OASISS - the Operation Against Smugglers and Traffickers Initiative on Safety and Security - have been created to protect trafficking victims. OASISS is a bilateral agreement between Mexico and the U.S. to help identify and prosecute violent human traffickers.

The Border Enforcement Security Task Forces - or BEST units - work cooperatively with domestic and foreign law enforcement to dismantle criminal organizers operating near the border. There are now ten BEST teams located along the borders, including new teams in Phoenix, Yuma, and Imperial Valley.

CBP also works closely with other federal agencies - with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and our sister agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - or ICE. We share information and provide assistance to victims - and help to ensure prosecution of criminals in this illegal trade.

I applaud all of you here today for raising awareness and forming partnerships to combat the barbaric practice of human trafficking. As compassionate protectors of the rights of human beings, the world must unite to fight this heinous crime. Human trafficking is a great moral test of our times - as much as AIDS…as much as ethnic cleansing…and as much as terrorist attacks against innocents.

I grew up in a time when we were expected to follow the Golden Rule - “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” It wasn’t considered a political or religious statement. It was just a good rule for living. It was a guide for being a responsible citizen and a good neighbor.

And I grew up in a time when children were allowed to be children - to be innocent and hopeful - and full of dreams for a bright future. Where adults were protectors - not exploiters. Where adults could be trusted and believed - not feared.

I believe that is one of the reasons I chose law enforcement as a career. Law enforcement officers protect the most vulnerable in our society from those who prey on innocence and goodness.

If you have ever heard me speak, you know that I am the grandfather of twelve, and those little children influence me in many ways. Those twelve children make me want to work even harder to create a world that is safe and just for all the children of the world. Freedom and protection are their rights - and you and I must fight for all those who can’t fight for themselves.

Thank you again for coming together today to address this important issue. On behalf of Customs and Border Protection, I can assure you that you have my support as you work to save lives and preserve freedoms.