Child-trafficking chain from Dominica to U.S. uncovered

Authorities in the Dominican Republic have uncovered a child trafficking ring that smuggled its victims into the United States, the National Attorney General's Office announced Friday.

The four alleged traffickers, which have been jailed pending charges, received between 14,000 and 16,000 U.S. dollars per child sent abroad, the agency said in a press release.

One of the suspects worked as an immigration agent at a port in the country's northeast, making it easier to send the children to the U.S.

Each year, some 1.2 million children fall victim to trafficking, according to the International Labor Organization.

In the Dominican Republic, human trafficking carries penalties of 10 to 15 years behind bars. Endi