Forcibly trafficked women to staff sex-for-hire businesses across the nation
by: jim kouri | published: 03 22, 2009
A Miami man was arraigned in federal court in Detroit on Friday for his role in operating a multi-state prostitution ring uncovered by a U.S.. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-led investigation.
Rafael Bernabe-Caballero, 32, was arraigned on an indictment charging him with multiple counts of sex trafficking by force, prostitution and importation of an alien for immoral purposes. Another defendant named in the indictment is Michael Porru, who will be arraigned on March 23, 2009.
The 21-page indictment alleges that Bernabe-Caballero operated www.miamiultimate.com between March 2007 and November 2008, using the website to market women for prostitution and to solicit johns around the country and in Metro Detroit.
The website, which has since been seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, was re-launched in an effort to collect more information on potential victims and past clients.
The website now has contact information for the ICE Office of Investigations in Detroit and an email address: MUinfo@dhs.gov.
According to the indictment, Bernabe-Caballero would recruit women under the guise of an escort service and then force the women to perform sexual acts on the website's clients with the threat of physical harm, death or exposure of their status to immigration officials.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Blackwell and Mark Chasteen.
Human trafficking and sex trafficking are transnational crimes whose victims include men, women, and children and may involve violations of labor, immigration, antislavery, and other criminal laws.
To ensure punishment of sex-traffickers and protection of victims, Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), which underwent reauthorization in 2007. The Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) lead federal investigations and prosecutions of sex-trafficking crimes.
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Jim Kouri
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Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City". In addition, he served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.
Jim writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, and others. He's appeared on-air for over 100 TV and radio shows. His book "Assume The Position" can be found in most local or online bookstore.
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