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The Marine noticed a girl acting strangely at the hotel where he was staying and jumped into action.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A reserve Marine is being hailed as a hero for helping to bring down a suspected human trafficking ring while he was in the D.C. area for training earlier this month. The Marine Corps. is not releasing the identity of the Marine due to an ongoing criminal investigation.
On May 5, the Marine returned from a day of training with his unit headquartered at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. He was staying at a hotel off of Route 1 in Alexandria. In the lobby, he noticed a girl.
“I came back from drill and noticed a young girl acting strangely and dressing out of place in and around the hotel lobby we were staying at,” the Marine said.
He said he noticed the girl had the number 13 tattooed on each arm and blue and white colors on her clothes, which are signs of the transnational criminal gang, MS-13.
“We constantly educate our personnel on how to spot and respond to suspected human trafficking situations. I never stop reminding Marines that human trafficking often manifests as prostitution and if Marines are against it, the criminals cannot win,” said Col. John D. Cowart, the Marine's commanding officer.
Over the next several hours, the Marine watched, followed, and ultimately freed the young girl, along with a handful of others, from the safehouse with the help of the Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force.
The Marine said he noticed a car came to pick the girl up from the hotel and he followed them. The car pulled up to a condominium in Alexandria. The Marine said the driver and looked out of place in the area.
The Marine called law enforcement and let them know what was going on. The officers and the Marine performed a welfare check, and found several young girls inside. They also found drugs and paraphernalia inside.
The Marine made it back to his hotel around 1:30 a.m., and Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test a few hours later.
For his quick-thinking, the Marine was presented with a Navy and Marine Corps. Commendation Medal.
“His judgment and initiative in this situation are perfect examples of how Marines should feel about human trafficking,” Cowart said. “He demonstrated that Marine leaders are part of the solution to the world’s problems. Marines are always on duty, observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing; and this Marine exemplified that.”
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