TRENTON — A source within local law enforcement has told Shore News Network that a statewide human trafficking bust and prostitution rings may have involved illegal migrants and possibly even children.
Seven individuals have been indicted in two human trafficking cases in New Jersey, including the alleged exploitation of minors in Essex County and a brothel operation in Cumberland County, state officials announced Monday.
In Essex County, authorities say three juvenile victims—two 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old—were trafficked and forced into sexual exploitation. Prosecutors allege that Khailah Meekins, 21, and Donte Barkley, 28, both of Newark, used online advertisements featuring nude photos of the minors to arrange sexual encounters at hotels and short-term rentals. The victims were subjected to threats, physical violence, and beatings with an extension cord to maintain control, according to the indictment.
In Cumberland County, Usiel Luna, 42, of Bridgeton, is accused of leading a brothel operation where women were allegedly recruited under false pretenses of working as dancers, only to be coerced into sex work. Weekly, new victims were reportedly brought to the brothel from Queens, New York, and Paterson, New Jersey, to perform sexual acts under violent and restrictive conditions. Prosecutors allege the operation also involved drug distribution, with law enforcement seizing methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and over $50,000 in cash from the brothel and Luna’s residence.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin emphasized the state’s commitment to combating human trafficking, urging the public to report suspected cases to the confidential hotline at 855-END-NJ-HT. “There is no tolerance for the exploitation of anyone, especially in this dehumanizing way,” Platkin said during a press conference.
The charges mark a significant step in the state’s efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and provide justice for victims, officials said, highlighting the ongoing work of the Division of Criminal Justice’s Human Trafficking Unit.
Two alleged trafficking operations revealed the brutal realities of human exploitation, involving minors in Essex County and coerced women in Cumberland County, as New Jersey intensi