The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a crackdown on human traffickers on Thursday, expanding the successful Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) program to the northern border — although Maine does not appear to be participating.
“This Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice,” she added.
The JTFA brings federal prosecutors together with federal law enforcement agents and international partners to identify, arrest, and prosecute cross-border human traffickers.
“By elevating and expanding JTFA, we are extending that reach across both our northern and southern borders and sending a clear message to cartels and transnational criminal organizations: the Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who endanger human life through smuggling and trafficking activities, and we will not stop until these groups are eliminated,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti.
As of Thursday, the JTFA will be expanded to include some Northern Border regions, including the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of New York and the District of Vermont, which will both dedicate prosecutors to the human trafficking crackdown.
In addition to partnering with new border districts, the JTFA is expanding its law enforcement partnerships.
Previously, it partnered with the Department of Homeland Security. On Thursday, the DOJ announced additional partnerships with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The DOJ’s announcement indicated that Vermont and New York would be included, without mentioning participation from any other states, including Maine.
Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-Maine) spokeswoman, Blake Kernen, told the Portland Press Herald on Friday that Collins believes in the importance of stopping human traffickers and would be looking into why Maine was not included in the program.
“Senator Collins supports securing our borders to prevent illegal crossings, human smuggling and the flow of illegal drugs that have devastated our communities in recent years,” Kernen said, “Senator Collins’ office has reached out to the DOJ to ask for an explanation of why Maine is not a part of this initiative.”
The Maine Wire reached out to Collins, asking if she has received a response from the DOJ and whether she intends to take any action to push for Maine’s inclusion in the JTFA program. Kernen told The Maine Wire that the DOJ has acknowledged receipt of their inquiry, and that they expect a response soon.
According to the DOJ, the program has led to over 410 arrests and 355 convictions since it began in June 2021.
On Thursday, they announced four significant prosecutions, including one against Norma Linda Quintanilla Lozano, 53, of Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Lozano allegedly participated in a human smuggling operation that worked to bring illegal aliens from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador, including children, into the U.S. through the Canadian border.
She is being prosecuted in Vermont.
This story has been updated to include a response from Sen. Collins
