In Latin America, 

victims of human trafficking are often referred to as "desaparecidos" or 

"those who have disappeared." Because centers of human trafficking and sexual exploitation are 

so difficult to uncover, victims seemingly 

vanish without a trace. 

Part of the reason this 

is possible is because human traffickers are often involved in other crimes such as money laundering or drug trafficking, so they have pre-existing networks that are practiced in evading law enforcement officials. But unlike drugs, human beings can be sold more than once, which only increases incentive. In economic terms, human trafficking is a low risk crime that generates enormous profit. This is why in addition to being one of the most undetected crimes, human trafficking is also one of the most common.

Mary's Pence grantee Acciónes Coordinadas Contra la Trata (Coordinated Actions Against Human Trafficking) or ACCT is an interdisciplinary team based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It's formed by anthropologists, archaeologists, teachers, psychologists, lawyers, and other professionals who collaborate to battle human trafficking and increase the visibility of this crime. Their approach is unique in that it combines forensic anthropology, psychology, and education to tackle human trafficking from a variety of angles.

The ACCT forensic team works to identify potential human trafficking victims by comparing records of unidentified bodies in morgues and cemeteries with missing persons reports. Through DNA tests and finger print records, ACCT has helped solve cases of disappearances up to 20 years old. They have also started a database that collects data of alleged disappearances, unidentified bodies, and current and past human trafficking cases and other related crimes. According to Celeste Perosino, ACCT president, this data "will allow [ACCT] to establish public policies that can combat the phenomenon in a more direct way." 

In one case a young girl who Perosino refers to as P.A. was reported missing. She had disappeared from her house in the middle of the night. A missing persons agency in the area suspected her case was related to a larger trafficking or child sexual exploitation ring and contacted ACCT. By looking at news sources, other missing persons cases, and interviewing neighbors and relatives, the ACCT team was able to deduce that P.A. had been kidnapped by traffickers. They were even able to identify other potential trafficking cases in the area. But ACCT didn't stop there. Continue reading here.