Human trafficking is a tragic crime that's not going away any time soon, especially along the I-35 corridor. However, police continue to make an effort to crack down on it, rescue victims, and arrest those who help perpetuate it.

Megan Vanselow with our partners at News 10 reports that 10 people were arrested and 6 rescued after the Bell County Sheriff's Office conducted a prostitution sting near Temple late last week. Eight men and six women were taken into custody Thursday and Friday. Two of the men were reportedly Fort Hood soldiers, while police say another worked for the Killeen Chamber of Commerce.

The men were identified as:

Aaron Bernard Barraza
Jonathan Allen Burton
Kalem Keemo DeWait
Jose Ariel Lopez-Medina
Guillermo Elias Martinez
Rex Allen Adams III
Felipe Rodriguez
Deleon Krisoff Romero

They all face Class B misdemeanor charges.

Four of the women considered human trafficking victims were freed, but two were charged either for prior warrants or misdemeanor prostitution. The rescued women were given assistance by an organization specializing in helping human trafficking victims.

Police carry out these sting operations fairly frequently, and always seem to make at least a dozen arrests. You'd think people would learn, but sadly that's not the case.

Authorities can only do so much, so if you suspect that human trafficking is happening in your neighborhood or to someone you know, or if you're a victim, please reach out to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-(888)-373-7888. You can also text "HELP" or "INFO" to 233733. The folks there speak English, Spanish, and 200 more languages to help as many people as possible.

You can also contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at humantraffickinghotline.org.

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