{"id":2511631,"date":"2025-11-17T18:36:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T23:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-democrat-run-city-in-major-swing-state-is-becoming-a-human-trafficking-hub\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T18:36:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T23:36:56","slug":"report-democrat-run-city-in-major-swing-state-is-becoming-a-human-trafficking-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-democrat-run-city-in-major-swing-state-is-becoming-a-human-trafficking-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Democrat-Run City in Major Swing State Is Becoming a Human Trafficking Hub"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Freport-democrat-run-city-in-major-swing-state-is-becoming-a-human-trafficking-hub%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2511631&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article highlights a significant rise in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/12-state-human-trafficking-operation-ends-in-102-arrested-47-rescued\/\" title=\"12-state ... operation ends in 102 arrested, 47 rescued\">human trafficking cases<\/a> in North Carolina,particularly in Charlotte,which is considered an epicenter of the issue. Experts attribute this to multiple factors,including Charlotte&#8217;s extensive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-unveils-massive-infrastructure-plan-calls-it-once-in-a-generation-investment\/\" title=\"Biden Unveils Massive Infrastructure Plan, Calls It \u2018Once-In-A-Generation Investment\u2019\">interstate highway system<\/a> that traffickers use to transport victims across the country. Gang activity, especially by groups like the Bloods, also contributes to the problem by providing organized criminal networks that facilitate trafficking operations. In 2024, North Carolina reported 301 human trafficking cases involving 580 victims, nearly half of whom were minors under 15. This troubling increase underscores the complexity and severity of human trafficking in the state.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>For any political junkie, North Carolina is a state of great interest come election time.<\/p>\n<p>Generally accepted as one of the key &ldquo;swing states&rdquo; in U.S. elections, North Carolina often attracts a lot of eyes every four years.<\/p>\n<p>Tragically, it appears the Tar Heel State is attracting a lot of other eyes, too &mdash; eyes focused on things far more sinister than political punditry.<\/p>\n<p>According to a sobering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/human-trafficking-soars-blue-city-gangs-highways-fuel-perfect-storm-child-exploitation-experts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News<\/a> report, experts are warning that North Carolina has seen a sharp uptick in human trafficking cases.<\/p>\n<p>And Charlotte, one of the largest major cities in the state &mdash; a city that&rsquo;s been run by Democrats since 2009, no less &mdash; is an &ldquo;epicenter&rdquo; of the issue.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> console.log(\"A\/B Test Video Player\"); \/\/ Helper function to set a cookie function setVideoCookie(name, value, days) {     var expires=\"\";     if (days) {         var date=new Date();         date.setTime(date.getTime() + (days*24*60*60*1000));         expires=\"; expires=\" + date.toUTCString();     }     document.cookie=name + \"=\" + (value || \"\")  + expires + \"; path=\/\"; }  \/\/ Helper function to get a cookie function getVideoCookie(name) {     var nameEQ=name + \"=\";     var ca=document.cookie.split(';');     for(var i=0; i <ca.length; i++) {         var c=ca[i];         while (c.charAt(0)==' ') c=c.substring(1,c.length);         if (c.indexOf(nameEQ)==0) return c.substring(nameEQ.length,c.length);     }     return null; }  \/\/ Function to determine or retrieve the split test group function assignSplitTestGroup() {     var group=getVideoCookie('splitTestGroup');     if (group===null) {         var rand=Math.random();         if (rand <1\/3) {             group='A';         } else if (rand <2\/3) {             group='B';         } else {             group='C';         }         setVideoCookie('splitTestGroup', group, 1); \/\/ Sets a cookie for 1 day     }     return group; }  \/\/ aditude function aditudePlayer() {     playerBottom=5;     if (window.innerWidth <=768) {         playerBottom=100;     }     console.log(\"Loading Aditude video player\");     window.tude=window.tude || { cmd: [] };     window.tude.cmd.push(function() {         tude.requestOutstreamAd({             divId: \"videoPlayer\",             baseDivId: \"pb-slot-outstream\",             playerOptions: {                 dock: true,                 dockedPosition: \"bottom-right\",                 dockedOffset: {                     bottom: playerBottom,                     right: 5,                 },             }         });     }); }  \/\/ anyclip function anyclipPlayer() {     document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() {         function loadAnyclip() {             const container=document.getElementById(\"videoPlayer\");             if (!container) return;              const script=document.createElement(\"script\");             script.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\";             script.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\");             script.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");              \/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot             container.appendChild(script);         }         function findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) {             const targetElement=document.querySelector(selector);             if (!targetElement) {                 console.warn(\"Target element not found.\");                 return null;             }              \/\/ Get all \n\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document             let paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));              \/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element             let targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);              if (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) {                 console.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\");                 return null;             }              return paragraphs[targetIndex - x];         }          \/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver         function observeElement(element) {             if (!element) return;              const observer=new IntersectionObserver(                 (entries)=> {                     entries.forEach(entry=> {                         if (entry.isIntersecting) {                             console.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim());                             loadAnyclip();                             observer.disconnect();                         }                     });                 },                 { threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed             );              observer.observe(element);         }          \/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #videoPlayer and observe it         let paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#videoPlayer\", 2);         observeElement(paragraphToObserve);     }); }  \/\/ stn function stnPlayer() {     \/\/ may want to pass in         document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() {         function loadScript(src) {             const script=document.createElement(\"script\");             script.src=src;             script.async=true;             document.body.appendChild(script);         }         function findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) {             const targetElement=document.querySelector(selector);             if (!targetElement) {                 console.warn(\"Target element not found.\");                 return null;             }              \/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document             let paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));              \/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element             let targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);              if (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) {                 console.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\");                 return null;             }              return paragraphs[targetIndex - x];         }          \/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver         function observeElement(element) {             if (!element) return;              const observer=new IntersectionObserver(                 (entries)=> {                     entries.forEach(entry=> {                         if (entry.isIntersecting) {                             console.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim());                             loadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\");                             observer.disconnect();                         }                     });                 },                 { threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed             );              observer.observe(element);         }          \/\/ Add custom styles for STN player         const style=document.createElement('style');         style.textContent=`         #videoPlayer {             min-height: 460px;             margin-bottom: 10px;         }         @media only screen and (max-width: 780px) {             #videoPlayer {                 min-height: 200px;             }         }         `;         document.head.appendChild(style);          \/\/ Add needed div for STN player         const stnDiv=document.createElement(\"div\");         \/\/ add data-stn-player attribute         stnDiv.setAttribute(\"data-stn-player\", \"s28Az7AY\");         document.getElementById(\"videoPlayer\").appendChild(stnDiv);           \/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #videoPlayer and observe it         let paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#videoPlayer\", 2);         observeElement(paragraphToObserve);     }); }  \/\/ Assign user to a group window.adUserGroup=assignSplitTestGroup(); let isSubbed=getCookie( 'ff_subbed' );  \/\/ Example usage if (isSubbed) {     console.log('User is subscribed, not running a player'); } else if (window.adUserGroup==='A') {     console.log('Running Aditude player for group A');     aditudePlayer(); } else if (window.adUserGroup==='B') {     console.log('Running Anyclip player for group B');     anyclipPlayer(); } else {     console.log('Running STN player for group C');     stnPlayer(); } <\/script> <\/p>\n<p>A myriad of factors contribute to this dubious distinction, as outlined by Hannah Arrowood, executive director of Present Age Ministries, who spearheads a partnership with the Charlotte Metro Human Trafficking Task Force.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It really is kind of like a perfect storm,&rdquo; Arrowood told Fox News Digital. &ldquo;There are a lot of variables. One of the things that we have to know is that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/grotesque-baby-harvesting-operation-taken-thanks-trump-created-intel-program-stones-throw-us-border\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trafficking<\/a> happens everywhere. It happens in every city and every town, whether you&rsquo;re rural [or in a] city &mdash; it really doesn&rsquo;t matter.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;But for Charlotte, one thing is that we have a lot of factors that attract demand.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>One key factor is apparently Charlotte&rsquo;s interstate highway system, which bad actors use to get to other parts of the country.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Part of the reason why Charlotte is such a huge trafficking hub is because of the highway system,&rdquo; Toby Braun, founder of the American Special Investigative Group, told Fox News. &ldquo;A lot of these traffickers are running victims and may start in South Florida. From South Florida, they go to Atlanta, and from Atlanta, they pass through Charlotte. Oftentimes there, they may put them in safe houses.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Braun added that victims often get transported to major cities, like New York City or Los Angeles, after making their way through Charlotte first.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Charlotte is kind of like a central hub, or an epicenter,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;For the most part, it&rsquo;s kind of a pit stop.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Another reason for Charlotte&rsquo;s proliferation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/multiple-people-dead-suspected-human-smuggling-boat-capsizes-off-san-diego-coast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">human trafficking<\/a> has to do with the sizable and notable gang presence in city.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Bloods have a huge stronghold in human trafficking,&rdquo; Braun explained. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >primary organized crime groups responsible<\/a> for trafficking [in Charlotte]. For the most part, these are criminal networks.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;And that also makes it tougher, because of the kind of resources that they have and the ability to traffic people around, hide them in places and really stay undetected.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>And this isn&rsquo;t a small issue. The statistics provided by Fox News are staggering.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, data was collected showing that there were 301 cases of human trafficking with 580 victims in North Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>Those cases can be broken down as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>145 reported cases of sex trafficking<\/li>\n<li>73 cases of labor trafficking<\/li>\n<li>38 cases of both sex and labor trafficking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Of the above cases, 48 percent of them involved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ice-moves-save-450k-unaccompanied-minors-abandoned-lost-bidens-border-policies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">minors<\/a> under the age of 15.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For political enthusiasts, North Carolina is a state that draws significant attention during election seasons. Known as a crucial &#8220;swing state&#8221; in U.S. elections, it often becomes a focal point every four years. Unfortunately, the Tar Heel State is also drawing attention for far more troubling reasons &#8211; specifically related to human trafficking<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2511632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2025-11-17T181628.441.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[67236,4912,38427,67235],"class_list":["post-2511631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-city-report","tag-democrat","tag-human-trafficking","tag-major-swing-state"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2025-11-17T181628.441.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2511631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2511631"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2511631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2511635,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2511631\/revisions\/2511635"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2511632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2511631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2511631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2511631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}