U.S. Embassy Hosts Training to Counter Trafficking in Persons in Panama

January 31, 2012

U.S. experts train and share their knowledge with Panamanian investigators

The U.S. Embassy, in cooperation with Panama’s Office of the Attorney General, hosted a week-long training from January 23-31 to combat trafficking in persons.  Fourteen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted the training and placed a strong focus on victim assistance as the key to successful investigations against traffickers.  Representatives from Panama’s Special Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, the offices of Regional Prosecutors, the Judicial Investigations Department, the National Immigration Service and Interpol attended the training.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said, “I have seen firsthand the suffering that human trafficking causes.  Not only does it result in injury and abuse—it also takes away its victims’ power to control their own destinies... This is a violation of our fundamental belief that all people everywhere deserve to live free, work with dignity, and pursue their dreams.”

Panama passed new, comprehensive legislation to combat trafficking in persons in 2011, and the law went in to effect on January 1, 2012.  The law expands the government’s authority to investigate not only crimes involving sexual exploitation, but also forced labor, domestic servitude, and organ trafficking.  To better assist Panama in implementing the new law, the U.S. Embassy hosted a training focusing on identifying and investigating human trafficking cases.  In addition to experts on victim’s assistance, team investigators presented case studies of actual trafficking crimes that were investigated in the USA and the lessons learned from these investigations. 

Last week’s training on trafficking in persons is part of an on-going collaboration between the governments of the United States and Panama to combat these crimes.