Seen from the Californian sky, these mysterious signs suggest the worst

Human trafficking, child trafficking? A cry for help? In February, theories flooded social media. Mysterious messages had been discovered in a vacant lot in Los Angeles, captured from above and then widely circulated online.

Many interpreted these signs as proof of a human trafficking network. Visible on Street View and Google Earth since July 2023, the "HELP" inscriptions were made from debris and cylinders.

In addition to the word "HELP", the terms "LAPD" [the Los Angeles Police Department], "traffico" and "terrorismo" were also visible. As highlighted by 20 Minutes, the presence of an opening in the ground also fuelled theories about an underground network used for developing human trafficking.

No evidence

Faced with the reactions from internet users, some taking on the roles of expert investigators, the Los Angeles police were forced to speak to the media. In an interview with the American network ABC in Los Angeles, the LAPD said they had visited the site and "found no evidence of criminal activity or threat in the area". The owner of the vacant lot, the railway company Union Pacific, dismissed these theories, insisting that the signs were the work of one man who had "entered the area without permission". On X (formerly Twitter), the LAPD also responded to this theory: "We have had multiple contacts with the individual you mentioned. He refused housing or a mental health evaluation. There is no evidence of human trafficking. He has been at this location for a number of years."

A worrying reality

According to the initial findings of the investigation, most of the accounts fuelling conspiracy theories were linked to conservative circles, close to Donald Trump (some of whose electorate follow conspiratorial movements).

Nevertheless, human trafficking in the region remains a worrying reality. The Los Angeles County website states: "Human trafficking exists throughout our communities and does not discriminate based on ethnicity, gender or age, nor does it recognise immigration or socioeconomic status."

(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source: 20 Minutes - Illustration: © Unsplash)