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Farm worker company charged with human trafficking

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed three lawsuits on Wednesday charging two companies with “human trafficking and forced labor.”

One suit filed in Hawaii and one in Washington state charge Global Horizons of Beverly Hills, California with bringing more than 200 Thai men into the United States to work on eight farms, six in Hawaii and two in Washington. The suits say Global took the workers passports, denied them the opportunity to leave the premises, subjected them to physical assaults by overseers and threatened deportation if they complained.

The workers were assigned to Captain Cook Coffee Company, Del Monte Fresh Produce, Kauai Coffee Company, Maui Pineapple Farms, Kelena Farms and MacFarms of Hawaii. The two farms in Washington were Green Acre Farms and Valley Fruit Orchards.

Last September 15th, Global Horizons president, Mordechai Orian was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for “engaging in a conspiracy to commit forced labor and documented servitude.” That charge involves approximately 400 Thai workers brought in between May of 2004 and September of 2005. Earlier this year, a federal grand jury in Hawaii indicted eight employees and agents of Global Horizons including the CEO for allegedly conspiring to force hundreds of Thais to work on the farms for little or no pay.

Attempts to contact Global Horizons have been unsuccessful.

The third suit was filed in Mississippi against Signal International, a marine services company and involves at least 500 welders and pipe-fitters from India.

The EEOC says hundreds of additional potential claimants and witnesses are expected. The suits seek back pay, compensatory and punitive damages and injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination. The U.S. EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws involving discrimination for race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information.