Story perspectives

Justice Department Filed 73 Sex-Trafficking Charges, Fewest Since 2010

8/13/2026

Center

Justice Dept Declines

The Justice Department filed 73 federal sex-trafficking charges through June 2026, the fewest in a year since 2010.
Officials say the decline stems from staffing cuts, reassigning agents to immigration duties, and delayed victim-support grants under President Donald Trump.
Todd Blanche was confirmed Attorney General by a 50-to-49 vote on August 13, 2026.
Alessandra Serano was appointed the Justice Department’s national coordinator for child exploitation and human trafficking.

Right

Trump Crime Crackdown

The Justice Department filed 73 federal sex-trafficking charges through June 2026, the fewest since 2010.
Supporters credit President Donald Trump’s Washington, D.C., crime-crackdown and National Guard deployment for the homicide decline.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the initiative logged over 6,000 arrests, nearly 2,000 drug seizures and 1,300 firearm seizures in year one.
The Major Cities Chiefs Association said Washington, D.C., homicides fell 43.9% in early 2026, to 46 from 82.

Blindspot

Former prosecutors and agents said the reassignment of Homeland Security Investigations staff to immigration enforcement left sex-trafficking cases understaffed, and the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs delayed or froze victim-service grants in 2026.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

Congress passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in 2000, creating the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. President George W. Bush signed its 2008 reauthorization, renamed the William Wilberforce TVPRA, and subsequent renewals in 2013 and 2022 kept federal grant programs alive, shaping today’s anti-trafficking funding framework.

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Justice Dept Declines

The Justice Department filed 73 federal sex-trafficking charges through June 2026, the fewest in a year since 2010.
Officials say the decline stems from staffing cuts, reassigning agents to immigration duties, and delayed victim-support grants under President Donald Trump.
Todd Blanche was confirmed Attorney General by a 50-to-49 vote on August 13, 2026.
Alessandra Serano was appointed the Justice Department’s national coordinator for child exploitation and human trafficking.

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