191 Arrested in Massive Human Trafficking Bust in New York City, Officials Report

NEW YORK —

On Wednesday, city officials reviewed statistics on human trafficking in New York City, emphasizing the greater need for improved interagency coordination to combat youth trafficking.

Officials noted that New York has one of the highest sex and labor trafficking rates and pointed to the vast transportation network as a major factor.

In New York City, the NYPD’s Human Trafficking Task Force conducted over 337 operations in 2024, according to Lieutenant Joseph Picarello. Operations were launched off of leads that stemmed from hotlines, patrol, and other agencies.

191 individuals were arrested as a result. 86 trafficking victims, including 27 minors were rescued in 2024, officials say.

Picarello noted that investigations can become complicated, as victims are often reluctant to self-identify to law enforcement.

Additionally, Deputy Chief Ortiz of the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit shared the results of Operation We Will Find You 2, part of a national operation to locate critically missing children, including trafficking victims and those with aggravated risk factors.

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In New York City, operations were conducted across five weeks and resulted in the recovery of 41 critically missing children. Ortiz says 10 of the children were victims of trafficking.

While officials lauded the progress agencies made in 2024, there was an emphasis on pushing legislation to help law enforcement address these issues.

Councilmembers cited Intro 831 , a bill that if passed, would require the NYPD to annually report on missing persons cases and include data on trafficking victims. The bill was laid over by the committee.

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