CCHT Chronicle March 2025

U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent this bulletin at 03/19/2025 03:30 PM EDT

The monthly Newsletter of the Center for Countering Human Trafficking

March 2025

Blue Campaign Corner

A Small Act of Kindness: Making a Big Difference

A single act of goodwill or the channeling of positive energy into meaningful actions can save a life. In 2001, a 17-year-old girl was enticed to come to the United States to work as a nanny for a woman she met in her home country of Nigeria. Once the young girl was here, the woman physically abused her repeatedly. Fortunately, there was a witness — a friend of the young girl recognized what was happening and helped her escape.

The young girl in this case was fortunate—she had someone in her life who noticed something was wrong and took action. However, not all victims of human trafficking are so lucky. They need everyday people to bring hope through small actions that add up: recognizing the signs, spreading awareness, and taking action to report possible cases of human trafficking.

This story is just one of many; read the experiences of more survivors like the young girl on our human interest stories page.

Green Goes with Blue: St. Patrick’s Day and Blue Campaign

When most people think of March, they often associate it with St. Patrick’s Day, festivities, and good fortune. But did you know that the legendary story of Maewyn Succat, famously known as St. Patrick, begins with him being a victim of human trafficking? At the age of 16, he was kidnapped from his home in Britain and taken to Ireland, where he was held in captivity and forced to work for six years. After his escape, he transformed his tragic experience into a powerful drive to advocate for the rights of the vulnerable.

St. Patrick’s story is strikingly similar to those of human trafficking survivors today. We encourage you to stand with those who have experienced human trafficking by becoming an advocate yourself and supporting the important work of Blue Campaign.

Human Trafficking Awareness: Spring Break

March is also the time of year when thousands of young adults travel nationally and internationally for spring break. While there’s nothing wrong with going out with friends and having a good time, it’s important to remember that big events and large gatherings can attract human traffickers. Know what to look for with our student advocate resources, which can help students and youth leaders raise awareness and prevent exploitation.

Recognize and Report: Spotting the Signs of Human Trafficking

The first step toward taking action is to familiarize yourself with the indicators of human trafficking. Common signs can appear almost invisible on the surface, but once you know what to look for, they can become immediately recognizable:

Is the individual disoriented, confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse?

Are they acting fearful, timid, or submissive, especially around someone they’re with?

Are they showing signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care?

Do they lack personal possessions and/or any personal agency?

We hope you share these signs with others and become more aware of your day-to-day interactions. If you recognize any of these signs and become suspicious, trust your instincts—they could save someone.

Learn how to appropriately report human trafficking or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Want to learn more? The Blue Campaign offers additional information on our website about the ways you can help make a difference.

At the Center

CCHT Hosts the Tebow Foundation to Discuss Most Vulnerable People

On March 4, the CCHT hosted Tim Tebow and other executives from The Tebow Group, an NGO that manages the Tim Tebow Foundation and other initiatives which focus on ending human trafficking and forced labor, and supporting the Most Vulnerable People worldwide. Included in the tour and presentation were the Project Foundation, SafeToNet and other NGOs, who discussed strategies for prevention, intervention, and victim reintegration.

Continued Presence Webinar for Law Enforcement

On April 10, 2025, from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm ET, CCHT will host a webinar on Continued Presence for law enforcement. Referencing the Continued Presence Resource Guide the webinar will focus on:

Why and how requesting Continued Presence strengthens human trafficking investigations
How to prepare and submit Continued Presence requests
Recent improvements for the Continued Presence program

To register, for the seminar, please go to www.dhs.gov/ccht and click on webinars. We look forward to your attendance!

Continued Presence is a temporary immigration designation provided to individuals identified by law enforcement as trafficking victims who may be potential witnesses. The temporary designation allows trafficking victims to legally remain in the U.S. and work during the investigation into the alleged human trafficking-related crimes committed against them and during civil action under 18 U.S.C. § 1595 by the victims against their traffickers.

In the Field

ICE investigation leads to Nevada man’s 11-year sentence for sex trafficking a minor

Tyree Eugene Rideaux, 31, of Henderson, Nevada, was sentenced, Feb. 25, 2025, to 132 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and subject to registering as a lifetime sex offender due to an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations with significant assistance provided by the Mesa Police Department.

Rideaux met the 16-year-old minor female at a party in Phoenix a short time before Aug. 15, 2021. The minor traveled with Rideaux and two other females to Inglewood, California. Rideaux told the minor to pretend that she was 18 years old. Once in California, Rideaux placed the minor on the “blade,” an area in a city known for high rates of prostitution. Rideaux assigned a fictitious name to the victim and posted commercial sex advertisements of her online for sex buyers. The minor female gave the money she earned to Rideaux, as he directed her to do. On Aug. 15, 2021, the victim convinced a sex buyer to take her to a hospital where she could notify police and family, who returned her home.

Rideaux pleaded guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor on Sept. 16, 2024.

“As law enforcement officers, we are used to handling difficult encounters, but few can prepare us for working on human trafficking investigations involving vulnerable children,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola.

Read the news release to learn more about the case.

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