"We will use every tool in our toolbox to take down entire networks," O'Neill Burke said.
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In order to do that, O'Neill Burke says a major component of human trafficking is educating the public on exactly what it is.
"Human trafficking, when you come down to it, is about power and control. Traffickers take advantage of their victim's vulnerabilities and use it against them," Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Holly Kremin said.
Kremin leads the office's human trafficking unit.
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There are two types of trafficking: sex cases and labor cases. In Illinois, Kremin says there are many more incidents of labor trafficking, but they are often underreported because the victims tend to be workers living in the U.S. without legal permission.
Construction, cleaning services, factories, food service and farming all are examples of industries where human trafficking exists. Kremin says there are many examples in agriculture where victims work long hours with very little food or pay and are only able to leave their living quarters when working.
"One particular case, there were bunk beds of people. There was one bathroom for approximately 30 individuals," Kremin said.
Whether it's labor or sex trafficking, Kremin says 40% of victims are victimized by their own family members.
Speaking before a Chicago Bar Association event on human trafficking, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Virginia Kendall said public officials are not doing enough to combat human trafficking.
"People in authority, people who have positions of power who represent the people, they have turned a blind eye to this," Kendall said.
The U.S. Attorney's Office is also prioritizing human trafficking cases. Because some of the cases are very complicated and also involve financial and interstate crimes, both offices must work together.