TCCCFE Quarterly Training "Investigating Human Trafficking Networks at Illicit Massage Businesses" and Crypto Investigations - Virtual Training
July 9th,2025, 8:30am CST to 12:30am CST - 4 CPE
Investigating Human Trafficking Networks at Illicit Massage Businesses
8:30 am – 10:20 AM CT - Samantha Santiago
Speaker biography:
Samantha Santiago is a licensed Private Investigator (TX DPS #A18878001) and owner of Premier Pathfinders LLC, a private investigations and strategic intelligence firm in Austin, Texas. Her business focuses on litigation support and corporate executive vetting, with experience spanning cases involving human trafficking, cybercrime, fraud, and mergers & acquisitions.
Prior to establishing Premier Pathfinders LLC, Samantha spent over 13 years in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where she led high-impact counterterrorism operations, including Presidentially-directed efforts against the most serious terrorist threats to U.S. national security. She holds CIA certifications in both Intelligence Analysis and Targeting (Investigations) and has been recognized with multiple CIA Exceptional Performance Awards (EPAs) and a National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation.
Samantha serves on the Board of Directors for the International Intelligence Network (Intellenet), is a Regional Director for the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI), and is on the Ethics Committee for the National Council of Investigations and Security Services (NCISS). Samantha received her degree in East Asian Studies and Anthropology from Bucknell University and a certificate in Mandarin Chinese from the Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing, China.
Speaker Topic: Investigating Human Trafficking Networks at Illicit Massage Businesses
This presentation will discuss how to investigate human trafficking networks within illicit massage businesses (IMBs). It will cover the operational tactics and control methods traffickers use to exploit victims and disguise their activities as legitimate enterprises. Participants will be guided through real-world case studies illustrating how these establishments are identified, investigated, and successfully dismantled.
Learning Objectives:
· What are IMBs and how prevalent are they in the U.S.?
· How are human trafficking victims manipulated and recruited to the U.S.?
· How do the owners of IMBs disguise their activities as legitimate enterprises?
· What are some signs of an IMB operating in plain sight?
· What are some open-source intelligence (OSINT) strategies used to identify IMBs?
· How are IMBs investigated and prosecuted?
10:30 am – 12:25 PM - Crypto Investigations with BCA Special Agents with cryptocurrency expertise.
Session Title:
Cryptocurrency Investigations: Skills, Scams & Strategies for Anti-Fraud Professionals
Session Summary:
Join expert special agents from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) for an engaging two-hour seminar focused on the critical intersection of cryptocurrency and fraud investigations. With real case studies and frontline insights, this session will demystify digital assets, equip professionals with practical investigative strategies, and highlight red flags every fraud fighter should recognize in today’s rapidly evolving crypto landscape.
Learning Objectives:
• Understand the fundamentals of cryptocurrency and how it is used in fraud and criminal activity.
• Identify key indicators of crypto-related scams and money laundering tactics.
• Apply investigation techniques and tools used by law enforcement in real-world cryptocurrency cases.
• Strengthen cross-sector collaboration between public and private sectors to disrupt crypto-enabled fraud.
