Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido met with a delegation of officials from more than 20 nations Monday morning to discuss human trafficking and strategies on combating it on a local level.

Lucido said in a news release the visit was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program and was composed of senior officials involved in law enforcement, security, military, government agencies and non-governmental organizations who were nominated by the U.S. Embassy in each respective country to participate in this innovative initiative in the worldwide fight against human trafficking.

The prosecutor said he was “honored” by the visit after he talked to the delegates in the county Administration Building in Mount Clemens.

“Human trafficking is an especially insidious crime as it mainly targets highly vulnerable people who are in desperate situations such as extreme poverty and addiction that end up being made considerably worse through abuse and exploitation,” Lucido said in the release. “I am particularly infuriated when women and children are the victims of this terrible offense. I have made it a top priority of the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office to fight human trafficking.”

The delegation is participating in the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons: Prevention and Mitigation Program that has the goal of reviewing U.S. government strategies to combat international human trafficking. The effort includes an examination of the role that government, law enforcement, the courts and local organizations play in detecting, preventing and prosecuting crimes. The initiative explores ways to recognize, protect and assist victims of abuses and trafficking plus help them to recover and reintegrate into society.

Sarah Dalton, Global Ties Detroit Program associate, served as the meeting facilitator. Global Ties Detroit is a local non-profit organization that contracted with the federal government to guide the delegation’s three meetings in Michigan. Delegates were scheduled to meet Monday afternoon with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and Tuesday with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and local offices of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The group is also traveling to other U.S. cities.

Also participating was Clinton Township Clerk Kim Meltzer who shared “her very practical advice and excellent experience that shows how local government officials can play a key regulatory role in preventing bad actors from getting a foothold in a community by using legitimate business for improper purposes,” Lucido said.

Lucido commended Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Lisa Lozen, chief of his office’s Human Trafficking Unit, and her colleagues for their efforts “to bring criminals engaged in this activity to justice.”