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In an era where information travels fast, a tweet sparked a heated debate that asks the question: where does geography intersect with human trafficking? A tweet from “Podcaster on The BroadCast @BroadCastTrio” linked the St. Lawrence River, Halifax’s high human trafficking rates, child trafficking in Prescott and Cornwall, the “Lost Boys” near Lake Ontario, and the Finger Lakes region, and Hunter Biden’s tattoo.
I'm sure it's just a coincidence that the St. Lawrence River is a stones throw from Halifax, which has the highest rate of human trafficking in all of Canada.
— Unacceptable Canadian Girl (@AreOhEssEyeEe) January 6, 2025
And I'm sure it's just a coincidence that the two towns that had the largest child trafficking operations executed in…
Is this just a coincidence or a complex web of geography and crime that has gone unchecked for too long?
This tweet is going viral and many are taking notice as it links seemingly unrelated places across Canada and the US. A closer look at human trafficking and the role of social media in uncovering such claims. But is there any truth to the theory? Let’s dig deeper into the geography of crime and the power of digital narratives.
The Geography of Human Trafficking
“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that the St. Lawrence River is a stone’s throw from Halifax which has the highest rate of human trafficking in all of Canada,” tweeted Unacceptable Canadian Girl (@AreOhEssEyeEe).
The claim highlights Halifax’s high human trafficking rates. According to the stats, Nova Scotia has the highest rate of human trafficking in Canada with 3.1 incidents per 100,000 people from 2012 to 2022. This is not just alarming, it’s a trend that may be connected to larger criminal networks operating across provincial and international borders.
The St. Lawrence River is a major waterway that runs through both Canada and the US and connects multiple areas of high human trafficking. Given the high number of trafficking in surrounding areas like Ontario and Quebec, traffickers may use the river to move victims across borders undetected.
This isn’t just theory—many documented cases of smuggling and human trafficking use rivers and other natural barriers as routes because of their anonymity.
On the other hand, Prescott and Cornwall, two towns along the St. Lawrence River, have been known for their high-profile child trafficking operations. A 2020 report showed that these towns had some of the highest rates of reported human trafficking in Canada.
These small, often overlooked towns are perfect for trafficking hubs—less surveillance, easier access to international borders, and the perfect cover of rural areas. Is it possible that the proximity of these towns to the St. Lawrence River makes them a key location for criminal activity?
Brattani (@Bratt_world) tweeted:
Look up how many people have drowned being smuggled across. Kids too
— Brattani (@Bratt_world) January 6, 2025
This highlights the river’s role in illegal people’s movement across borders with the river being used as a route for smuggling, drug trafficking, and yes, human trafficking. The water carries more than just goods—it carries victims too.
The “Lost Boys” and Lake Ontario’s Dark History
The mention of Lake Ontario is the most chilling. The “Lost Boys of Pickering” a case that has haunted Ontario for decades is about the disappearance of two young boys in 1993 and their whereabouts are still unknown to this day. Penny2 (@PennyKuz) shared an eerie parallel:
The lost boys of Pickering brought this to mind..
— Penny2 (@PennyKuz) January 6, 2025
An abandoned house with a newly built dungeon, that was finally cleansed by fire (removing evidence?)https://t.co/sW7n0RCZPk
Some investigators have theorized that the fire and the disappearance are connected and that the area was used for illegal activities including trafficking.
The boys’ disappearance raises questions about the trafficking network operating around the Great Lakes region which goes far beyond Ontario and includes areas like Buffalo and Rochester. The region has been a hot spot for human trafficking for years due to the number of border crossings, major highways, and waterways that make it easy to move people across regions.
As the tweet suggests traffickers can hide in plain sight using abandoned houses and secluded areas to keep their activities under the radar. This case is part of a disturbing pattern in areas around major bodies of water—one that extends to the Finger Lakes region which is also linked to trafficking networks.
Another connection mentioned in the same tweet was the Finger Lakes region which is geographically close to Lake Ontario. Some have drawn parallels between the Finger Lakes and trafficking activity noting the number of border crossings in the area. TruthBeTold (@RuffledCanary) said:
Nice crumb trail!
— TruthBeTold (@RuffledCanary) January 6, 2025
This theory suggests that the movement of victims from one place to another follows a pattern based on the geography of the area, particularly between these two lakes. If the Finger Lakes is a hub, traffickers may use these peaceful and secluded areas to transport victims.
The Role of Social Media in Investigations
Some dismiss this as coincidence but others on social media are running with the investigation and finding connections that others are missing. L Borchers (@LKB157475) said:
More details please. Followed
— L Borchers (@LKB157475) January 6, 2025
How social media users are sharing and amplifying this story? Twitter allows for rapid dissemination of theories that connect users across borders and facilitates a global conversation around important issues.
Social media is a double-edged sword when it comes to spreading information. It can be a tool for awareness but also for misinformation. But when used properly social media can connect local communities to global conversations and create a network of people who want to uncover the truth. These tweets are just a spark in a much larger investigation into human trafficking but show the power of collective investigation.
ExposeTheDarkness (@Expose_The_Dark) also shared important data:
2012 – 2022 Nova Scotia had the highest rate of human trafficking (3.1 incidents per 100,000), followed by Ontario (1.6 incidents). 2022, Nova Scotia accounted for 8.7% of human trafficking incidents and Ontario accounted for 67% of incidents. Ontario wins HT first place award!
— ExposeTheDarkness (@Expose_The_Dark) January 6, 2025
These statistics show the geographical connections between high risk areas. But social media amplifies these concerns, spreading information about trafficking operations and in some cases theories about their connections to high profile individuals or families like Hunter Biden’s Finger Lakes tattoo in the original tweet.
These provocative statements tie together unrelated events and people but also expose the often hidden and uncomfortable truth behind criminal networks.
Norm LeStorm (@NormLeStorm) mentioned “Project Jericho” a case involving former police officer Perry Dunlop’s efforts to expose child exploitation rings in Canada and how whistleblowers and investigative work have not gotten mainstream attention and has only added to the feeling that something bigger is going on beneath the surface.
Project Jericho. Look into Terry Dunlop. He tried to expose what was really happening and got chased out of town. https://t.co/UPZ2KknMUe. https://t.co/KfkANAVsLi
— Norm LeStorm, True North Strong & Remaining Free (@NormLeStorm) January 6, 2025
A Deeper Dive: The Geopolitical Aspect of Trafficking Routes
These tweets are not just a few isolated cases—they are a window into the global trafficking network that operates in plain sight. When we look at these regions—Halifax, Prescott, Cornwall, Lake Ontario, and the Finger Lakes it becomes clear trafficking is not a random crime but a highly structured and geographically based operation.
Halifax, being a maritime city, makes it an ideal location for international trafficking. With access to international waters, the city could be a key stopover for victims being moved to the U.S. via the St. Lawrence River and further inland to the Finger Lakes. The roads from Toronto and Montreal to the rural towns along the river are a well-known route for traffickers.
On the U.S. side the Finger Lakes region although not well known for trafficking is a major transportation corridor between the Northeast U.S. and Canada. The town of Rochester being close to major highways and an international airport is a key logistics hub for traffickers moving victims along established routes.
A Call for Real Investigation
So are there more to these “coincidences” than meet the eye? As uncomfortable as it sounds the possibility that geography plays a role in human trafficking can’t be ignored. It’s not just about the geographical proximity of these regions—it’s about the connections, the networks, and the uncomfortable truths that lie beneath the surface.
As social media continues to fuel these conversations the question remains will real investigations follow or will this narrative be dismissed as just another conspiracy theory?
The data and geography can’t be ignored. As uncomfortable as the connections to human trafficking are to these regions maybe we need to keep investigating. Social media started the conversation but it’s up to authorities, journalists, and investigative bodies to take it further. Only through real-world action, we can expose the truth and address the root of this global problem.
Last Updated on by Saket Kumar