Criminal Behind Bars
Recently, a woman from the Highland Park neighborhood in Chicago, had been arrested for the human trafficking of four Mexican immigrants. She had forced then to work tirelessly to pay her back for getting them into the United States. The four people had been in the country since summer of 2023 and were just rescued by the police.
The woman who was trafficking these people is 34-year-old Gladys Ibanez Olea. She was arrested on Tuesday with many charges, including human trafficking and involuntary servitude. According to the police, Olea told the victims that if they did not cooperate with what she made them do, she would have their families in Mexico killed. She is expected to show up in court Thursday.
The victims of this crime are two women and two boys. Police rescued a 19-year-old woman with her 2-year-old son, and a 22-year-old woman with her 15-year-old brother. Investigators stated that they believe Olea had scheduled their arrival to the country around July. The victims did not know each other prior to arriving to the United States.
Glimpse Into Their Nightmare
According to the trafficking victims, Olea had promised them housing, employment, and safety once they arrived with her to the United States. However, that never happened. As soon as they arrived to her house, Olea took possession of their identifications and anything else they had brought with them.
Olea had forced the two women and the 15-year-old boy to work for her. Instead of sending the boy to school, like he was supposed to, she made him a fake ID stating that he was 19 years old instead of 15. They were forced to give her all the money the earned and their “debt” kept increasing which seemed that it would never be possible to pay.
Police found locks in the kitchen cabinets and fridge so she could monitor everything the victims ate. Olea had also been said to give the 2-year-old cold baths throughout the day to prevent the baby from falling asleep. This was so that the baby would sleep all night. Olea is being held at the Lake County Jail awaiting trial.
Justice For The Victims
CBS had a chance to speak to the woman’s husband who has completely denied the allegations. He stated that he believes the nineteen year old woman tipped off the police out of malicious intent. The woman’s husband tried explaining that the reason the cabinets and fridge had padlocks was because of his kids. He said his kids have food allergies, but either way he never denied anyone food. The woman’s husband also explained he believes the nineteen year old was just mad about the way his wife would tell her to take care of her child, to feed, and bath the child. This is when she made a false tip to the police.
Sherriff’s office is currently working with many federal partners in order to help these four victims of a heinous crime through their legal process. Lake County sheriff’s office spokesman, Chris Covelli, said that the tip given to the police about this crime speak volumes about the relationship the community has with the Highland Park Police. Covelli said that the office is doing everything they can to get legal remedies for these poor victims. Also in regards to their rights as victims, however not as United States Citizens.
Nightmare Is Over
“They are victims through and through, they came here under very false pretenses with a desire to be able to live the American Dream. … They were completely misled by the offender, by their trafficker,” said Covelli. The young women and children are likely to be given protection under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. According to Covelli, Human Trafficking is a very common crime, however, they are extremely underreported. Over the last few years, Lake County’s special investigation group has successfully rescued dozens of trafficking victims. Both from involuntary servitude, and sexual trafficking.
Jessica Darrow, a professor at University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice has stated that it is not shocking that immigrants are being exploited. This is because there is so much room for exploitation. Darrow has stated that she believes these four victims need time to heal from this nightmare they lived through.
Written by Erika Cano
Sources:
CBS News: Suburban Chicago woman arrested for human trafficking of Mexican migrants
NBC Chicago: Highland Park woman charged with trafficking immigrants from Mexico
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Johnny Silvercloud Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Jason Lawrence Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
