The Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority and other local organizations are teaming up to tackle the issue of human trafficking.
Leaders met during the 3rd annual Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority’s Human Trafficking Summit on Thursday. The two-day event kicked off with outlining the importance of recognizing signs of human trafficking.
The Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority took charge of the summit, since statistics show that 81% of human trafficking utilizes public transportation. Various law enforcement groups also received more insight into the types of human trafficking – those being sex and labor trafficking situations.
The first day of the summit focused on the horrific testimony of a survivor – Destiny Rizzo Pena, a Baltimore native, who spoke about her experiences in the dark world of human sex trafficking.
"A lot of traffickers, they want people that are weak or struggling," Pena said. "There are certain ways they can do it. Homelessness, people strung out on drugs. They look for weaknesses and they prey on that."
Pena talked about how the public in general tend to look at people, such as those experiencing homelessness, and fail to look at factors that put them there.
"Instead of looking at what they’re doing to break the law, what about what go them there," she said. "Why are they doing that? Why are they breaking that law? What is it that they need? How can we help them become better."
These days, Pena is happily married, drug free and owns a business — a far cry from where she was a few years ago.
She gives back to the community through street outreach, and providing food and clothing for the homeless.
"I talk to some of the very same people in the Corpus Christi environment that I used to get high with," Pena said. "I offer them hope and empowerment, and I tell them there is a way out, a better way, and a better life and they deserve it."
Day two of the summit continues Friday.
