‘Force multiplier’: Feds join USF to fight human trafficking
- Mark Parker
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
By merging federal muscle with academic innovation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the University of South Florida are launching a new offensive against human trafficking that prioritizes victim support.
On May 22, the HSI Tampa and Miami field offices signed a memorandum of understanding with USF’s Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience (TIP) Lab to adopt a victim response framework developed by researchers and successfully utilized by over 145 local and state agencies since 2024.
Stakeholders believe the federally enhanced, collaborative effort will bolster survivor support, service coordination, and research that will ultimately benefit victims and disrupt perpetrators.
The lab’s Bridging Resources and Information Gaps in Human Trafficking (BRIGHT) Network is a critical component.
Developed in collaboration with anti-trafficking experts and survivors, the BRIGHT Network enables vetted organizations to coordinate and provide resources for exploited adults and minors. Florida lacked a holistic care network and comprehensive associated data before the online platform’s launch.
“By partnering with the University of South Florida and leveraging innovative tools like BRIGHT, we are not only strengthening our ability to identify, recover, and support survivors of human trafficking, but multiplying our impact through enhanced collaboration with federal, state, and local partners,” said Micah McCombs, acting special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.
“This truly is a force multiplier.”
The platform functions as a high-tech command center, allowing social workers, non-profits, and law enforcement to coordinate life-saving services - from emergency healthcare to safe housing - with unprecedented speed. Unifying frontline professionals on a single digital interface ensures victims of labor and sex trafficking no longer fall through the gaps of a once- fragmented system.
HSI special agents and victim assistance specialists will use an expanded version of BRIGHT that was specifically designed for law enforcement. USF’s announcement states that the new partnership reflects the agency’s survivor-centered approach to investigations.
Placing a high value on identifying, recovering, and stabilizing survivors also aids in capturing and prosecuting their traffickers. Jose R. Figueroa, acting special agent in charge of HSI Miami, noted that combating human trafficking requires extensive stakeholder partnerships, “especially in academia.”
“This partnership has already produced evidence-based research that will inform how HSI can more effectively deploy our limited personnel to stabilize victims and ensure traffickers are held accountable,” Figueroa said. “Together, we are advancing our mission to dismantle trafficking networks and strengthen long-term outcomes for victims across Florida.”
Research and victims
The TIP Lab, housed at the USF St. Petersburg campus, released its first tranche of long-overdue research in July 2025. Florida is home to over 200,000 sex trafficking victims, and experts estimate that minors comprise half that population.
Another 500,000 people suffer from labor exploitation, according to the 2024 State Report on Human Trafficking. The study provides a baseline of data for future comparison.
Florida has one of the country’s highest human trafficking rates due to its population, the number of major cities that host national and international events, and its concentration of airports and ports. Agriculture, tourism, and adult entertainment - industries often supported by labor exploitation - thrive in the state.
The report found that 55% of youth screened for human trafficking were Caucasian and 37% were African American, despite that demographic accounting for approximately 15% of the state’s population. Polk, Orange, and Brevard Counties had the highest number of “likely or very likely” cases.
Researchers scored counties according to human trafficking risk, response, resilience, and prevention efforts. Hillsborough County excelled for its “active intervention and enforcement.”
Pinellas, Palm Beach, and Okaloosa Counties topped the list of major urban areas that “face significant trafficking risk but show concerning gaps in response capacity” and require recommended “enhanced intervention resources.”
Help should be on the way. According to USF, the new agreement with HSI will help “develop and evaluate a scalable response model” to inform anti-trafficking efforts throughout and beyond Florida.
The ability to connect a survivor with the right advocate and resources at the moment they are found can mean the difference between a successful rescue and a return to the shadows. Dr. Shelly Wagers, director of the TIP Lab, believes an enhanced BRIGHT Network can be that conduit.
“What makes this project unique is that it brings together survivors, service providers, federal partners, university researchers, and operational technology into one coordinated response effort,” Wagers said. “Our hope is that this work helps build more connected systems that reduce the burden victims and survivors often face while navigating recovery and support during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.”
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