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VOLUME 17 | ISSUE 7 | JULY 2026

Man charged with human trafficking involving a minor



San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that Otis Broughton (28), of Daly City, has been charged in connection with human trafficking offenses. Mr. Broughton is scheduled to be arraigned on June 24, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at the Hall of Justice. Prosecutors will move to have Mr. Broughton detained without bail pending trial because of the public safety risk he poses. Click here to read more.

Tennessee man sentenced to 30 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor and attempted production of child sexual abuse material

MIAMI – A Tennessee man who paid a minor in Colombia to produce sexually explicit videos and traveled overseas to engage in commercial sex acts with the minor victim has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. Click here to read more.

Human trafficking spikes often coincide with big events. Truck drivers can help stop this crime

While the fight to end human trafficking is an everyday and everywhere challenge, major events — such as sporting events, concerts, etc. — can lead to an increase in human trafficking activity. This increase is largely a result of location-specific spikes in demand for commercial sex and cheap labor. By knowing the signs, you can make a difference. Click here to read more.

Mississippi Trucking Association (MTA) President Hal Miller leads last annual conference

Mississippi Trucking Association (MTA) President Hal Miller (pictured to the right), a TAT champion, led his last annual conference on June 5, before his planned retirement begins July 1. And, as part of her presentation to 85 members of the MTA at the conference in Orange Beach, Alabama, TAT Deputy Director and Senior Director of External Affairs Kylla Lanier expressed appreciation for his support of TAT. 

MTA, under Miller’s leadership, won the 2020 TAT Champion Award in the Association Category for their commitment to combat human trafficking. Their actions included MTA leadership joining their statewide task force against human trafficking, supporting undercover operations, co-hosting Coalition Builds and law enforcement trainings for their state, having the Freedom Drivers Project at the Mississippi State Fair and supporting TAT as a Silver Level sponsor. 

"It is always an honor to be given time to present at the MTA's conference, but knowing this was the last one led by Hal made it extra special,” Lanier said. “TAT cannot ask for better partners than what we’ve been blessed with in the MTA!"

Miller shared, “The Mississippi Trucking Association has been honored to partner with TAT in the fight against human trafficking for more than 12 years. Through this relationship, we have been inspired to work alongside several Mississippi state agencies to combat trafficking and raise awareness of this critical issue. Many of our members have incorporated TAT training into their organizations for years, and we hope that having Kylla Lanier speak once again at our annual convention will inspire even more companies and individuals to become involved in these efforts.”

He concluded, “While I’ll be stepping down as president of MTA, I’m confident our new president, Todd Bates, will keep MTA fully engaged with the battle. I will remain committed to this important cause and plan to continue dedicating my time and efforts to the fight against human trafficking in the years ahead.”

Freedom Drivers Project visits UPS Philadelphia HUB 

Despite a shift change and major thunderstorm, over 100 people toured the Freedom Drivers Project (FDP) at the UPS Philadelphia Airport Hub. UPS gave away cooling towels, snacks and water bottles, and Micah Larsen, TAT Mobile Exhibits specialist, along with UPS volunteers, handed out wallet cards to UPS employees who came out to see the FDP. The FDP was equipped with TAT's major sporting event slides and video, and UPS promoted the visit internally as a World Cup-related event. The next UPS event will be in Bayonne, New Jersey on July 1.

“While the weather and shift change were contributing factors to not as many people touring, I still had excellent conversations with many of the people who did,” Larsen stated.

(L to R) Andrew Stengal, project manager and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) manager at The UPS Foundation, and Micah Larsen, TAT's Mobile Exhibits specialist, prepared for UPS employees in Philadelphia.

UPS Employees (yellow jackets) volunteered at the FDP as well as toured it at the UPS Philadelphia Airport Hub.

Michelle Judd de la Luz, a new staff member at El Pozo de Vida in Mexico, assigned exclusively to advancing TAT’s model replication in Mexico, and Bethanie Lyall, a new Canadian TAT staff member, are already moving TAT anti-trafficking objectives forward with members of transportation in both Canada and Mexico. 

Judd de la Luz is the Initiative Leader for Guardianes del Asfalto, the Mexican counterpart to TAT. Since March 30, she has been leading human trafficking prevention efforts in Mexico's transportation sector, training freight and passenger transport operators and building partnerships with institutional stakeholders to scale a train-the-trainer education model nationwide. 

A sociologist and academic researcher specializing in gender studies, drug policy and institutional violence in Mexico, with a particular focus on clandestine rehabilitation centers, her work has included co-authored research with CIESAS (Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology) and the Wilson Center, teaching at UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) and UACM (Autonomous University of Mexico City), and publishing an award-winning book on discrimination and substance dependency among trans-women in sex work, recognized by COPRED (Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination in Mexico City). 

Throughout her career, she has worked with trafficking survivors in various contexts, though her focus has primarily been research. “What drives me now is the opportunity to move from documenting the problem to actively changing it, generating concrete, measurable impact from within Mexico,” she said. “I am energized by the collaboration with TAT and El Pozo de Vida, because it combines rigorous methodology with genuine community reach, and it gives me the tools to make a real difference at scale.”

“Having a dedicated, full-time, team member focused exclusively on the advancement of our model replication in Mexico is what we have needed,” enthused Kylla Lanier, TAT deputy director and senior director of External Affairs. “Michelle brings her incredible intelligence and data-driven passion to this initiative, and we are thrilled to be working with her!”

Lyall, TAT's new Canada Program manager, started mid-May and will be growing TAT's reach across Canada, creating new relationships and partnerships within the trucking, bus and truck stop industries, as well as mobilizing existing ones in the fight against human trafficking. Prior to joining TAT, she spent 20 years in the social services sector, working on behalf of and advocating for vulnerable populations, with much of her work centered on building partnerships, program management, training and facilitation.

“I’m motivated by the chance to build on the strong foundation TAT has already laid out in Canada,” said Lyall. “Seeing how engaged and supportive our existing partners are makes me excited to grow that presence even further. The work this team has accomplished across the United States is truly inspiring, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to replicate that proven model here. The TAT team is also what makes working here so special; everyone has been incredibly welcoming and supportive from day one.”

“TAT is thrilled to welcome Bethanie to the team! I look forward to the many ways her skills and experience will help expand and deepen our work and partnerships in Canada,” stated Annie Sovcik, TAT senior director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives. “Bethanie's background in managing partnerships for social sustainability and inclusion initiatives throughout Canada gives her a unique perspective on TAT's potential for growth and enhanced impact. Beyond that, being based out of the greater Toronto area will allow her to collaborate and access TAT's partners and prospects in-person in more meaningful and consistent ways.”

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