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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
World
Chelsie Napiza

Federal Sex Trafficking Prosecutions Plunge 22% As Trump's Crackdown Promises Stall Under DOJ

Donald Trump DOJ Trafficking Todd Blanche Immigration Jeffrey Epstein Sean "Diddy" Combs
Federal sex-trafficking prosecutions fell sharply under the Trump administration, with a review citing DOJ staffing shortages, funding cuts, immigration enforcement priorities and declining victim cooperation (Credit: Staff Sgt. Westin Warburton, US Air Force via Wikimedia Commons)

The Trump administration has repeatedly named the fight against sex trafficking as one of its top priorities, but federal prosecutions of the crime have fallen sharply during the first half of 2026.

The Justice Department charged 73 people with sex-trafficking offences through June, about 22% fewer than the average number charged during the first half of the previous three years, according to a Reuters review of federal court records.

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