Spotlight: Operation Underground Railroad
by MEGAN BARTHOLOMEW
It all started with a three-year-old boy named Gardy.
Gardy Mardy was born to Haitian parents in Utah. His early years were just like anyone else’s. That changed when Gardy was kidnapped from the church his father helped lead. He was in Haiti.
When Tim Ballard, a Utah law enforcement officer trained in child rescue, heard Gardy’s story he was determined to reunite the little boy with his family. However, because the kidnapping took place outside of the United States, it was outside of Ballard’s jurisdiction. But, he was determined and in 2014 risked everything to help Gardy and other trafficking victims.
Tim’s solution was to found Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), a non-profit organization based in Draper, UT that focuses on rescuing victims of the $32 billion global human trafficking industry .
O.U.R. has four main objectives:
Getting the Victims to SafetyBallard decided to found his own trafficking rescue organization as a way to avoid the political red tape of law enforcement jurisdiction and other political roadblocks. O.U.R’s independent model allows much more flexibility when it comes to undercover operations.U.R. gets victims to safety primarily through undercover operations. Skilled volunteers pose as interested buyers, and set up “sex parties” with traffickers. Once the children are delivered, skilled agents raid and arrest the undercover agents—falsely— alongside the traffickers. This model allows traffickers to believe the of the industry, whether buying or selling.
Reclaiming Their LivesImmediately after children are liberated, there are agents on site who are trained to take care of them and make sure they feel safe. O.U.R. strongly believes that emotional rehabilitation and mental liberation are as important as physical liberation.
Evidence and ArrestThe most important part of O.U.R. is guaranteeing that perpetrators are put behind bars to ensure the safety of future children. O.U.R. works with foreign government agencies to research suspects and ensure that there is evidence to base arrests and convictions. By working with these agencies, O.U.R. is able to offer training and share technologies to help governments become proficient enough to shut down trafficking rings on their own. O.U.R.’s first successful operation was in Colombia, where they set up three undercover actions with government agencies and freed 121 children. Since then, the Colombian government has been able to nearly eradicate child sex trafficking in the port of Cartagena.
Educating the PublicAnother critical part of O.U.R.’s mission is educatingf the public on the realities of human trafficking. According to Utah Attorney General, Sean Reyes, who works closely with O.U.R.:“Without organizations like O.U.R, you don’t get the visibility to human trafficking like we do now. People are starting to become activists, and are beginning to rise up and say that they aren’t going to take it. That activism puts pressure on political officials, film producers, and a whole range of influencers who can really help make a difference.”Ballard, and his team at O.U.R., have been able to rescue many children around the world. Sadly, he is yet to find Gardy, the young boy who inspired the operation. O.U.R.’s most recent documentary shares the story of his search for Gardy, and how his search led to the rescue of many other children in Haiti and around the world.The documentary, “Operation Toussaint,” releases in Megaplex theatres around Utah on July 25. Half of all ticket sales go to Operation Underground Railroad’s efforts. For more information on screenings and O.U.R.’s mission, visit their website.