USSOCOM's Role in Addressing Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking is modern slavery. Its size, global scope, and potential to threaten national security warrants appropriate Department of Defense attention. However, the existing U.S. government institutions tasked to respond to Human Trafficking fail to account for the Department of Defense as an effective partner in addressing this global blight. This monograph asks whether the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has a role in addressing Human Trafficking. Human Trafficking mimics and compliments other illicit activities that destabilizes regions and creates environmental opportunities for violent extremist organizations. Activities such as illicit arms trafficking and narco-terrorism are known to destabilize regions, and have some causal links to violent extremist organizations. USSOCOM currently addresses those particular illicit activities operationally through the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs); however, USSOCOM does not appear to address human trafficking. Tasked to synchronize global efforts to counter violent extremist organizations, U.S. Special Operations command is in a unique position to address Human Trafficking, as a compliment to existing U.S. government efforts to counter human trafficking. Using a most similar systems design methodology, the monograph compares two illicit activities with human trafficking, in order to demonstrate the necessity for USSOCOM attention. This monograph posits that USSOCOM should address human trafficking to augment existing U.S. Government efforts. Specifically, USSOCOM may use a similar operational approach taken to counter narco-terrorism, as well as increased intelligence synchronization with the U.S. Department of State Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center.