April 23, 2021

About the speaker

Ms. Priscila De Azevedo Drummond is a Graduate Student at UTRGV in the department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering (MAIE). She will pursue her PhD at Northeastern University in the fall.

Decision Support Tool at the U.S. POE: A Human Trafficking focus

The Port-of-Entry (POE) effective operation can be the key to disrupt illicit supply chains. The Human Trafficking problem is challenging for several reasons, but foremost because it is a hidden crime. Victims don’t usually identify themselves for fear of retaliation or shame. At the POE, this identification is even harder because the more violent (and visible) outcomes are yet to become a reality. However, detection at this early stage can prevent not only human but also financial losses. The feasibility of this endeavor relies on a decision-making tool that considers the trade-offs of increased security measures, offering improved use of resources on crime prevention. This paper presents a linear programming model to achieve this goal. The model gives the optimal screening policy at the U.S. POE (POE) that considers the resources from multiple U.S. government sources. For a numerical example, two hypothetical screening policies will be compared: the one given by the model and a universal screening policy. The use of human trafficking activities costs, aligned with tourism deterrence, and operation disruption is an improved approach to POE operation regarding Human Trafficking activities. It hopes to address human trafficking and the costs of misclassification of victims and travelers