Laurie Holden once starred on the hit series “The Walking Dead” — but it’s her real-life heroics that are garnering her attention.
The actress was part of an undercover operation to bring down a notorious sex trafficker in Cartagena, Colombia, according to ABC’s “Nightline.”
The news program aired a segment on Tuesday about Operation Underground Railroad, which was founded by Tim Ballard, a former CIA agent and Homeland Security investigator.The group was made up of a “ragtag group of volunteers” that ranged from a former Navy Seal to regular people like Holden.
It wasn’t the 44-year-old’s first time performing this kind of heroic work: She told “Nightline” that she has also spent time in Cambodia helping girls get out of brothels.
The operation in Colombia lasted for several months, with the goal of tracking down sex trafficker Marcus Bronschilde in order to rescue the young girls being sold as sex slaves. Their efforts were recorded by a hidden camera for a documentary film called “The Abolitionists.”
The operatives needed to record the traffickers exchanging money for the girls in order to prosecute them. Under the guise of “renting” the girls for an American tourist’s bachelor party, Holden’s task was to keep the traffickers occupied as Ballard and other team members sought to capture the transaction on tape.
After the sting succeeded, Holden described her interactions with the victims.
“When they first showed up, some of them looked really terrified,” the TV star said. “I talked to a few of them and asked them how old they were. Some were 12. Some were 13. Most were 14.”
“One of the girls came in, embraced me, started to cry, then I started to cry,” she added, before becoming overcome with emotion.
“What makes me is sad is that yes, we got four traffickers, and I hope they fry,” Holden said. “But what makes me sad is that so many of these little girls, they don’t know any different.”
“I know we did some good tonight. But I know that more needs to be done.”
