Missionary work serves as a veil for those attempting to engage in human trafficking

By Dylan Mooney

Due to recent tragedy in Haiti, The United State's along with other countries have been donating supplies, such as water bottles.

Ten U.S. missionaries were charged with kidnapping and criminal association for attempting to move orphans from the earthquake-devastated country illegally.

The missionaries reportedly belong to an Idaho-based Baptist church. They were detained last week on Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic when they tried to cross with a busload of 33 children, which they claimed had been orphaned by the earthquake.

Haitian authorities said the group lacked the authorization and travel documents needed to take the children out of Haiti. All of the Americans deny involvement in human trafficking, which is unfortunately disguised often under the pretense of missionary work.

At a time when the U.S. is serving as a global figurehead by providing hundreds of millions in aid, accusations of child trafficking may spark the concerns of many.

U.S. State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley says that the United States is ‘not seeking to interfere with the case.’

“We have been in touch with Haitian judicial officials just to help understand how they were going to act in this particular case.”

Following the detainees’ arrest, Haitian officials have concluded that most of the children traveling with them on the bus were not orphaned.

The Haitian police cite that several of the children’s parents were found alive. During questioning with them, many described how the Americans claimed that their children would be receiving ‘better educations, and higher qualities of life.’

Since the earthquake, Haitian officials claim that adoption procedures have been reexamined. At present, thousands of orphans remain in Haiti and the work of missionaries and citizens alike need to be closely monitored.