Feds Investigating A Saudi Compound In Virginia For Possible Human Trafficking
Screenshot via NBC Washington Immigration officials are investigating a possible case of human trafficking at a home in McLean, Va., owned by the Saudi government, according to various media sources.
Department of Homeland Security agents rescued two women, possible victims of domestic servitude, from a Saudi diplomatic compound early Wednesday morning, a local NBC affiliate reports.
One woman tried to escape by "squeezing through a gap in the front gate as it was closing," according to NBC. The two women, reportedly from the Philippines, worked at the Saudi Embassy in D.C. and say they were mistreated, State Department officials told CNN.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Armed Forces Office owns the home, according to county real estate records reviewed by the Associated Press. Earlier today, a State Department official confirmed to CNN that the McLean house is the home of the Saudi military attaché. The women claim the Saudi attache "kept their passports, made them work extremely long hours, and did not pay them," CNN reported.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators are looking into the case, which is in its early stages. ICE may not file charges if the people involved have diplomatic immunity, according to NBC.