Arizona Dad Accused of Human Trafficking by Southwest Airlines Because Adopted Daughter is Asian

According to ABC, Brian Smith and his 16-year-old adoptive Chinese daughter, Georgianna, were flying from Florida to Arizona after visiting relatives. They had an uneventful flight home; so when they were greeted by police officers after getting off the plane, they were shocked.

“He said the flight attendant had some concerns about the person you’re with,” Brian told reporters. The father-daughter pair were seated next to each other for the duration of the flight, with Georgianna sleeping most of the way home. Brian stated that the only time he spoke to the flight attendants, it was regarding drinks and snacks; apparently, that was enough to arouse suspicion from the crew, who notified authorities in Arizona.

“I don’t like to accuse anyone of anything,” said Renee Smith, Brian’s wife. “But…if Georgianna was a Caucasian child, I don’t believe this would have happened.”

Brian and Renee are unsure as to what suspicious behavior would have alerted the flight attendants. “She has a communication disorder, so she is more quiet than other children might be in a public space,” Renee said.

While the family recognizes the importance of stopping human trafficking, they’re now concerned about future flights. “We’ve never had an issue but now we’ll always be worried something could happen,” Renee stated.

Southwest Airlines has emailed the following statement to ABC:

Featured Image via ABC