"The bitter truth is that trafficking also goes on right here, in the United States," he declared.
Trafficking also threatens to destabilize an increasingly vital supplier to global oil and gas markets, including a fifth of U.S. oil imports.
Overview | In this lesson, students learn about human trafficking, also known as modern slavery, and how it has become one of the largest industries in the world.
The first progress report of Obama's task force on wildlife trafficking, also released on Thursday, claimed success in Operation Crash, an investigation into ivory and rhino horn smuggling that has led to 20 convictions to date in American courts.
Listing several steps the administration has taken to confront the problem, he added that "for all the progress that we've made, the bitter truth is that trafficking also goes on right here in the United States".
Human trafficking, also called trafficking in persons, form of modern-day slavery involving the illegal transport of individuals by force or deception for the purpose of labour, sexual exploitation, or activities in which others benefit financially.
