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27 comments

Thursday, May 26th, 2011, 3:42 pm
Kimberly McCall says:
Dear Editors and Book Reviewers: While Mexican Cartels have been active in drug and human trafficking for many years on this side of the Mexico/Texas border, they are often shielded by “legitimate” businesses. While author Ernie Hunt’s riveting new novel Terror on the Border is fiction, it depicts more than an element of truth in its vivid illustration of how narcotics and human trafficking go hand-in-hand in the real life dramas that take place across our borders. Please read the following press release and let me know if we may schedule an interview with this gifted writer, or if you would like to receive a copy of his latest book for a review. Thank you. Kimberly McCall Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 133032 The Woodlands, TX 77393 kmccall@ascotmediagroupcom Direct: (713) 679-9708 Office: (281) 333-3507 www.ascotmediagroup.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE True Life Mixes With Fiction As Five Heroes Help The Oppressed In A Battle Against Drugs And Human Slavery Dallas, TX, May 26, 2011 - Dave Cunningham, author of Travel Within: The 7 Steps to Wisdom and Inner Peace says it all with: “Terror on the Border is a gripping story. The last 120 pages will take you on a breathless ride.” With stories of Mexican drug cartels and the devastation they wreak taking center stage in daily news reports, the realism in Ernie Hunt’s latest novel, Terror on the Border (Unrivaled Books), will have readers gripped by fear and unable to put the book down! Ernie Hunt knows how to capture the attention of readers. Fans of his pulse-pounding, epic adventures will be thrilled to learn that Jack Cassidy, the fearless ex-sniper from previous novels, is back – and he wants justice! Now married to Juanita Delgado, herself a victim of human trafficking, readers share his heart-stopping journey as the pair set out to heroically fight a malicious cartel led by egotistical Hernan Cortez and his evil enforcer Manuela, in an attempt to help the poor citizens of San Miguel, Mexico, a town ravaged by violence inflicted by the Los Lobos gang. Trouble looms when Juanita’s cousin Orlando, an American Border Patrol Officer, is kidnapped by the notorious Lobos while he is on duty. He and Juanita, who was also taken hostage, manage to escape the torture chamber where they were being held for ransom by Cortez who hoped to make their rich uncle pay for their release. After their daring escape, they reunite with Jack and two private detectives from Dallas as they try to warn their uncle of the impending danger from Cortez. The action escalates in bloody confrontations near the border and the unexpected twists and turns of this thrilling novel grab the reader’s attention and hold it all the way to the explosive ending! Ernie Hunt’s gripping novel might be fiction, but unfortunately narcotics and human trafficking are only too real. The story pinpoints real-life drug cartels - and one in particular that is born of Mexican Army Special Forces deserters whose members include corrupt former federal, state and local police officers. Sadly, the human slave trade in Mexico is a $20 billion a year enterprise, second only to drug trafficking that is estimated to bring drug cartels around $64 billion a year from sales to users in the United States. Ernie Hunt has lived a very diverse life in places like California, Texas, Missouri, New York and even Paris, France. He is the author of five dynamic novels whose stories embrace a similar goal – to promote a common sense of human decency amongst practitioners of all faiths worldwide. For more information on this very creative writer, please visit his website at www.eehunt.com . ###

Thursday, April 7th, 2011, 5:29 pm
SpenceEsther24 says:
That is well known that cash can make people autonomous. But how to act if one doesn’t have cash? The one way only is to try to get the loans or sba loan.

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010, 2:54 pm
Cindy says:
Just imagine if the tables were turned. It was you who were introduced to a society completely foreign to you(perhaps Mexico)in which you were forced to have sex with strangers repeatedly, that couldn’t understand a word that you spoke. They all laughed or beat and raped you again when you objected to their demands. You saw no escape and really had no home to go to(your family is shamed by you)I can honestly say it wouldn’t take much for me to become a shell and ask, "Can I have some dope with that beating?"

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010, 2:40 pm
Cindy says:
Journalistically Yours......get over yourself! Go scrub your bathroom or something. As much time as you took to critique this article, instead of hearing its real meaning, I have to assume that you are in prison and very bored maybe? Submit your version and let us see what we find wrong.

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010, 3:31 pm
Dottie says:
Thank you for all the comments. I enjoy all the kind words sent my way. I love what I do and have learned more about the joy of life than I can out into words in the years I have worked on this issue. The Lost Girls has really put a voice to the many victims of human trafficking (modern slaves) that are in the United States and all of our communities. Kiki is still detained and although she is very patient and hopeful she is feeling a bit tired. If any of you would like to send her letters of encouragement it would make a positive difference to her and help her to endure a bit longer. Please send them to lasterglobal@gmail.com I will make sure she receives them. To address a few points: As for a safe place for victims, there are many awareness organizations, legislative advocates and there are a few short term care organizations. Very few specialized programs for longer term care exist in the United States. Incarceration, after being a victim of sex trafficking, makes it a very long and hard path to recovery. Kiki and the many others like her need assistance from trained professionals and programs specific to their unique needs. We do have a program with exceptionally trained staff ready for her when, and if, she is released. I also would like to see more churches, Chambers of Commerce and other community organizations address this to their members. It is individuals and businesses that drive the demand for trafficking. It is a low risk, extremely lucrative crime, that enjoys a constant demand that can never be filled. We must educate the buyers and people who benefit from this slave labor to stop the demand for a supply of a constant stream of victims. 10 years after these laws were passed many social service and law enforcement agencies remain untrained and miss victims daily. There is a fierce urgency to reach as many people as possible who are already seeing victims but are unaware. As for reporting her identity, if shielding an identity is cause to not report then Watergate would just be the name of a hotel. It is often the story that must be told which requires protection of identities. That is the case here. If we as a community were effective at stopping this crime then Kiki would be free and the traffickers prosecuted. There would be no need for protecting her. If you will notice, the operations in the photographs were not blurred and they are still open. I challenge those few who criticized Mimi’s reporting to use this story as a beginning to make Houston, Texas, and the United States a safe place for victims and a hostile place for traffickers. Please visit lasterglobal.com or millionkids.org for stories on other victims, government sites, and other links to help journalists report on this issue.

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, 11:01 pm
History Starts Now says:
History Starts Now This is an excellent article about the crime of sex trafficking within the United States. If you have been as touched by this article as I am and would like to raise awareness of this issue, please check out History Starts Now at HistoryStartsNow.org. Based in NYC, History Starts Now is aiding in the fight against sex trafficking of minors in the United States through awareness and action. Using a multi-media and multi-city approach across the United States, we hope to raise awareness of the crime of sex trafficking. Thanks!

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, 5:51 pm
Carlos says:
Kudos to you for having the guts to print this story. This is not an easy, main stream subject. Yes, slavery is an issue affecting millions around the world, and in our own back yard. So many in the media focus on inane issues. Not you!

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, 2:14 pm
Cynthia says:
This story chills me. To those who say there isn’t enough proof, I would like to point out that the proof is in the seedy parts of town of every city in the United States. To those who say the mentally ill are unable to bear witness to the truth, I say the illness is the witness. To those who blame this on Texas, I say this isn’t a Texas problem, this is a human problem. Thank you, Ms. Swartz for bringing the darkness into the light.

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, 1:10 pm
CHRISTOPHER says:
Mimi, this is an excellent story that needs no explanation as to the lack of identity for the sources. The early part of the story should make it clear enough that people want to remain anonymous. Anyone with satellite TV can find investigative shows that deal with this subject at home and abroad. Human trafficking in America is not limited to people from other countries. There are WELL-documented cases of our suburban teens being kidnapped and sold as sex slaves. My first exposure to this type of story was about 8 years ago when I saw a special about women from the former Soviet Union being sold into sex slavery. This is very disturbing and what are even more disturbing is the people that want to act as if it is false and non-existent in the United States. Furthermore, my being an 8th generation Texan and a Christian do not influence my ideas but this is not a “Bible Belt” or a Texas problem. This is a problem with society becoming more tolerant of, or turning their eyes away from, atrocities that they do not want to believe could happen in America. May MY God, your God, and all Gods bless Dottie for her courage to help these people.

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, 12:21 pm
Nicole says:
Dear Ms. Swartz, I have never read or even heard a story that has affected me like this article has. This woman is in need. I believe I can help. Please contact me as soon as you possibly can and point me in the right direction. Thank you, Nicole Leger 469-223-4212 nicoleleger9999@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, 11:52 am
Mimi Swartz says:

Dear Journalistically Yours,

Thanks very much for your lengthy and thoughtful comments. I tried to respond to a few below, as I have no other name or address for you other than the pseudonym you chose to use.

I spoke with over thirty people for this story, many of whom wished to be anonymous for fear for their personal lives or losing their jobs. They included government officials, advocates for trafficking victims, attorneys, politicians, law enforcement officers, psychiatrists, and other trafficking victims. As one of the other commenters suggested, this is what happens with investigative journalism—not everyone wants their name in a story, and, sadly, every person who helped me could not be quoted directly because of space constraints and clarity. I spoke at length with Kiki, often using a Thai interpreter to be sure we got things right. I interviewed many friends and acquaintances of hers, and also had access to medical and legal records. They confirmed her account of her life, which has not changed at all since she first met with law enforcement officials and others who tried to help her after she was raped. The story was also extensively fact-checked by one of our researchers, who I’m sure would rather have spent her nights and weekends with her family instead of re-investigating my story.

I did in fact visit many spas, and turned up stories that were just as bad as Kiki’s. I understand the writer’s concern about the T visas—I know people lie to get them—and the story mentioned that many have been granted. Still, many women get lost in the bureaucracy—the forms are complicated and nearly impossible for non-English speakers to complete without assistance. Your point is a valid one, but that was not the point of this particular story.

You mention Kiki’s mental state. Yes, that makes her a difficult source—but what she suffered from—dissociative disorder, bipolar disorder, etc.—is absolutely common to virtually ALL victims of sex trafficking. Most women who have been raped repeatedly have some form of mental illness—as you can probably imagine, being a sex slave is absolutely devastating to one’s personality. Does that make all victims suspect? Does that mean that journalists should not write about people who suffer from mental illnesses? Again, I did not rely just on Kiki’s statements for this reasonß but on other people who knew her—doctors, lawyers, and friends. However, I think we have to write about these subjects in order to expose them any way we can.

In terms of the former YMCA official I wrote about, I don’t see why it is incorrect or improper to report her observations. She has years of experience and came highly recommended by local law enforcement. She’s an advocate for trafficking victims—are you suggesting that I should have interviewed traffickers to get their side of the story, and not advocated for the victims?

Finally, I would say that most of the stories I have read about human trafficking get responses like yours. It is very hard to believe that in this day and age this atrocious crime occurs in the United States—that was one reason why I wanted to show a photograph of Kiki, and she agreed to pose, even though it probably put her in more danger.

In case you or any other reader would like to help, here are some Houston organizations that can be contacted. I’m sure they would all be grateful for the help:

YMCA International 713.339.9015

Houston Rescue and Restore 713. 874.0290

Catholic Charities of Houston 713.874.6727

Tahirih Justice Center 713.250.2175

Children at Risk 713.869.7740

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, 10:04 am
eileen says:
I apologize for the offensive comments that have been posted here. We may have to close them on this particular story if it keeps happening. Thanks.

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, 3:31 am
Anon says:
Journalistically Yours, Please explain how to meet the journalistic standards you require without compromising the identity of Kiki? Although I agree that journalists should adhere to strict standards, it’s very difficult to reveal any additional information pertinent to this story without compromising the identity of Kiki.

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010, 8:41 pm
G says:
You probably shouldn’t have comments posting automatically into a story. Just a thought.

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010, 7:04 pm
Bernie says:
If it were a man instead of a woman being profiled in this article, there would be VERY little sympathy for him. She had chances to escape, she remained in the life after she was no longer coerced into it, and it sounds like she used and destroyed everyone who came near her. Either women are our equals, with equal responsibility, or they aren’t.

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010, 6:51 pm
DebinCO says:

This is the most disturbing article I’ve ever read about the sex traffic trade, in particular, "Kiki." Is there any way for us, privileged and educated women, to help her? I’m thinking about the last "wish" Dottie had for Kiki...a place to go to recover. Are there such places? We all know about the "sex-addict" rehab centers (yeah, right Tiger)...are there any for the sex-addict VICTIM?

Saturday, March 20th, 2010, 5:00 pm
Isabel says:
I have to say that bottom-line I agree with Journalistically Yours that there is not much to go on for anyone who wanted to fact-check this article. It’s important because in order for this story to reach a larger reading public it will have to be picked up by a news service. Many of the points raised are the criteria which major publications would demand an article/ writer to meet. Let’s hope more research will be done to take this story to the next level.

Saturday, March 20th, 2010, 4:50 pm
Journalistically Yours says:

Dave Peitz: Please don’t put words in my mouth. I don’t want all "writers notes, references, recordings, videos, be published" ... I just want some corroboration or evidence.

Let me put it another way: If you were going to fact-check this article, how would you do it? Would you even know where to begin?

That’s the heart of the problem with this article: ordinary readers have no way to evaluate the veracity of this article.

So if you want to accuse me of holding journalists to high standards for their reporting, fine, please accuse away. I will gladly plead guilty to that charge.

Saturday, March 20th, 2010, 4:42 pm
Dave Peitz says:
To Journalistically Yours: You’ve got to be kidding us right? As though any articles include all the requirements you list? Access to data? Are you mixing this up with a court case? Are you a professional writer? You are asking that all of the writers notes, references, recordings, videos, be published with the article? It is a typical piece of ’investigative’ journalism. Take a cold shower. This is a good piece.

Saturday, March 20th, 2010, 4:31 pm
Quinn says:
"What do you mean, ’wish’?"

Dear God, that says it all.

Thank you, Mimi, for bearing witness.

Saturday, March 20th, 2010, 4:12 pm
Journalistically Yours says:

[Apologies for the lack of paragraph breaks in my previous attempt at posting. Resubmitting with paragraph breaks.]

As a piece of journalism, Mimi Swartz’s article in Texas Monthly raises several concerns.

[Note: My comments are focused solely on the quality of the journalism in Texas Monthly article. I have no opinion on, or knowledge of, the subject matter itself.]

First, the journalist doesn’t make clear who exactly are the sources for this article. A significant portion of the information in the article *appears* to come from her boyfriend Enrique, and from the former YMCA employee Dottie. Only at the very end of the article does the author actually quote Kiki herself, and even then only sparingly. But the sources of many claims and assertions in the article are not always attributed in any clear way, and that is troubling.

Second, the journalist provides very little verifiable evidence that Kiki was, in fact, trafficked. It’s not enough to invoke the word and then expect readers to take at face value everything the story’s subject or her friends and advocates say -- there has to be at least some evidence that can be fact-checked. For example, did the journalist attempt to visit any the locations where Kiki says she was held, or interview any of the spa owners or operators? Did the journalist attempt to contact other women who were held at these spas at the same time that Kiki was alleged to be there? Did the journalist contact the Thai embassy to verify Kiki’s story? Did anyone from Texas Monthly call Kiki’s relatives in Thailand? We don’t know -- there is no reference in the article to how, when, and where Kiki’s story was fact-checked.

Third, the journalist appears unaware of a potential bias inherent in the process of obtaining T visas, namely demonstrating "cooperation with law enforcement". Basically, this can create a huge incentive for visa applicants and their advocates to say something, anything, that will get the attention of law enforcement officials. There’s a prize dangling in front of such applicants -- a visa to remain in the United States -- and this can easily lead applicants and advocates to elaborate, or possibly exaggerate, or even make unsupported allegations. The journalist doesn’t even seem to be aware of, much less correct for, this built-in bias, which in turn raises questions about how objectively the journalist researched the allegations and assertions made by the subjects of the story.

Fourth, if the journalist’s description of Kiki’s mental state are correct, then it is even more critical that claims about her situation be backed up by additional evidence. It’s difficult to know how much credibility law enforcement, or the readers of this article, should afford to allegations about a subject whose behavior appears erratic and affected by mental health issues.


Fifth, not once does the journalist indicate any fluency in Thai or Korean or any other relevant foreign language. The journalist also doesn’t indicate whether a translator was present at the meeting with Kiki. So how exactly did the journalist overcome the inherent language barriers while researching a story about people whose command of English is limited or non-existent? How did the journalist ensure the quality of any translations? Readers have no way to know from the article. Nor do readers have access to any excerpts from original data (e.g. video or audio clips or transcripts of interviews) to judge for themselves.

Sixth, the journalist seems to rely heavily on Dottie (the former YMCA employee), whose assertions are treated as factual, but without any corroboration given. For example: "She saw [trafficking victims] everywhere" ... "She believes in the old-fashioned idea of arresting men who frequent brothels" ... "I haven’t found any willing prostitutes in my life" ... "they are on the run from themselves" ... "That’s the person I have to believe I’m saving". Clearly, Dottie is an advocate, and there is nothing wrong with that, per se. But her opinions are her opinions, and not facts. The journalist’s role is to report the facts of a story, not to act as an advocate for one side or another. By uncritically citing and quoting one party’s views on controversial or debatable issues, the journalist has come dangerously close in this article to crossing that line between journalism and advocacy.

Again, I have no knowledge of, and offer no opinion on, Kiki’s situation, or the larger issue of human trafficking. Rather, I find it troubling that a journalist would report and write an article, and that a reputable journal would publish it, without providing much in the way of supporting evidence to back up the assertions and claims made in the article.

It is precisely because I, as a lay reader, have no independent knowledge of the situation, I need to know that what I am reading has been, or at the very least can be, independently verified, and that is unfortunately lacking in this article.

Saturday, March 20th, 2010, 3:01 pm
Janet says:
So, whats the next step? How can people help in Texas and any other state?

Saturday, March 20th, 2010, 12:36 pm
Holly Blades says:
Are you proud of yourself, Texas? Do you want to pound that Bible a little harder? Because I have a pretty good idea what Jesus Christ would have to say if he could see the way you really act.

Friday, March 19th, 2010, 9:33 pm
Rose says:
Thank you for printing this and hopefully, for starting a state-wide conversation.

Friday, March 19th, 2010, 5:24 pm
Isabel says:
OK so this is the same state that is rewriting history in the textbooks for the school children of the nation? WAKE UP Texas!! WAKE UP U.S.A.!!!

Friday, March 19th, 2010, 5:04 pm
Katy says:
Having lived in Houston all my life, it sickens me to hear the true story of the seedy goings-on in my beloved home town - something so quickly swept under the rug locally. Over 26 years I have most certainly seen positive growth, but so too a horrible turn for the worse. Senseless crime, inaction, injustice. This is the true reality of a sanctuary city. I applaud Ms. Swartz and Texas Monthly for having the courage to expose how "freedom" and "opportunity" can be so quickly and callously exploited in the hands of evil wretches.

Thursday, March 18th, 2010, 9:04 pm
Kathleen says:
Thank you, Texas Monthly and Mimi Swartz, for this powerful and eye-opening article. As a life-long Texan, I was painfully ignorant that human-trafficking was so prevalent in our state. And to Dottie Laster, I say: You are an Angel on Earth. Thank you for caring for those trapped and abused in these horrific circumstances. Kudos to Texas Monthly for opening our eyes to the dark underworld all around us.

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