March 27th, 2025 – 4:30 PM
WRGA Staff Reports –
FBI Atlanta, in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations, the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, GBI, and other law enforcement partners, executed federal search warrants yesterday (March 26th, 2025) at Wellmade Industries and several residences in the Bartow County area.
This operation is part of an active and ongoing labor trafficking investigation, which alleges that Wellmade Industries has been using fraud and coercion to force Chinese nationals and other immigrants into labor.
The FBI deployed 20 linguists and a victim specialist to assist the dozens of potential victims. Special agents were on-site conducting a thorough investigation into claims of worker exploitation.
While there was a significant law enforcement presence in and around Cartersville, authorities assured the public that there was no immediate threat to safety.
The FBI remains committed to working with law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking and dismantle the cycle of force, fraud, and coercion that entraps victims.
Authorities continue to urge the public to report suspected human trafficking to law enforcement or submit tips at tips.fbi.gov.
Reports can also be made to the HSI Tipline at 877-4-HSI-TIP.
As of last July, the FBI had 1,660 active human trafficking investigations nationwide.
Between October 2022 and September 2023 (the latest available data), the FBI opened 664 human trafficking cases. Labor trafficking accounts for 6 percent of these cases, while sex trafficking makes up the remaining 93 percent.
However, officials note that labor trafficking is often harder to identify because the work itself is not illegal.
For further information, inquiries should be directed to Homeland Security Investigations or the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
