Justice Department May Have Something Big in the Works: Over 9,000 Sealed Indictments

Ruskin said that among the causes mentioned for the surge of sealed indictments, he believes it’s more plausible they are related to human trafficking. Even his work investigating the mafia didn’t generate anywhere near as many sealed indictments as those currently pending; but with a human trafficking network, he said, there would be multiple groups operating in multiple districts—which fits the profile.

This would also fall in line with recent actions of President Donald Trump, who on Dec. 21, 2017, signed an executive order declaring a national emergency over human rights abuses and corruption; and who declared January 2018 as “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.”

Ruskin said, “It would be consistent with the large number of sealed indictments, because it is a problem that’s nationwide. If there was a national initiative involving the justice department and the FBI and ICE, let’s say, focused on that issue, then that would be a crime problem that would be bi-coastal and would involve multiple districts.”