Man and woman arrested in North Carolina for human trafficking; Man also faces felony immigration charge

Christian Valadez, 26, and Lisset Culpepper, 39, are currently being held in jail on a $1 million bond.

Guilford County inmate records indicate that in addition to the above accusations, Valadez is facing a felony immigration charge.

According to Fox8, Valadez and Culpepper were apprehended on July 13 at a home along the 3500 block of Fiesta Drive by the Greensboro Police Department's Vice Division.

The warrant for the pair's arrest revealed that they had "limited the means of communication, travel, withheld clothing and means of escape while conducting an illegal prostitution organization."

They were taken into custody, and subsequently charged with human trafficking of an adult victim, promoting prostitution, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting.

Valadez and Culpepper allegedly worked with a third individual to promote their prostitution ring via online advertisements, a tactic that has become increasingly common, especially on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

There were signs that something was going on at the house. On January 28, police responded to reports of a disorderly subject/crowd. Officers returned on June 14, then conducted a follow-up visit less than a month later. The following week, the pair were arrested.

Local police have stated that they believe others are involved, and that further arrests will be made in the near future with the help of federal authorities.

As Fox8 reports, while human trafficking is typically associated with states closer to the United States-Mexico border, it can happen anywhere, and North Carolina is currently ranked ninth in the country for incidents of the crime.

Efforts have been made to inform Americans about human trafficking operations and how to detect a potential victim. Earlier this month, the anti-human trafficking film Sound of Freedom premiered and quickly become a box office success, with countless people going on to spread the word about the horrors of the practice online.