Saved in America’s professional volunteers Mike Abarca and Toshiro Carrington appeared on the Veterans in Politics for a discussion— not politically centered— about the growing problem of human trafficking and how Saved in America is working to fight against these evils. The interview began with the men explaining their experience in the Navy SEALs and marine specialists respectively. 

Saved in America

During the interview, these courageous men who served our country in the military and then came back home to serve in another way, explain that Joseph Travers, SIA’s founder, started the organization as a way to fight against human trafficking on American soil. There have been organizations committed to fighting human trafficking overseas for years, but as far as on American soil, the problem was often relegated to local law enforcement, who are overwhelmed and understaffed, or the FBI who also has other duties that can be more pressing like national security. Therefore, the problem of human trafficking was falling into the cracks so to speak, and needed a focused task force to take it on. That is what led to the creation of Saved in America and the subsequent rescue of over 260 girls from the industry thanks to efforts from this organization. 

Parents Contact SIA

As the interview progresses, the guests explain how parents reach out to the organization for help. Parents contact SIA, where all the volunteers have previous law enforcement or military experience, and then allow them to work on behalf of their interests to track down and find their missing child. This is possible thanks to the fact that all the volunteers are also licensed private investigators. Parents also sign a legal power of attorney, so the group can speak on behalf of the family with law enforcement. The legal right to access the child’s phone and social media platforms and law enforcement information is key in many cases to find the missing child, so it’s important to have this legal qualification. All of their work is completed free of charge. Parents begin this process by filling in an application, with contacts and important information about their child. Funding for these rescues comes from fundraising and public donations that allows Saved in America to keep fighting for the lives of children.