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Sex trafficking in Mexico, or human trafficking, is the illegal practice of sexual exploitation of human beings in the United Mexican States. Sex trafficking is considered a form of modern-day slavery because of its attempt to recruit, entice, transport, or coerce someone into non-consensual sexual acts for personal gain. Mexico is an origin, transit, and destination for sex trafficking, a global industry that earns profits of approximately 150 billion a year.

Victims of sex trafficking come from both international and domestic groups in Mexico. Those most at risk of getting exploited are woman, unaccompanied minors, natives, individuals with disabilities, and immigrants. Men and people who identify as LGBTQ are at risk as well, but to a lesser degree. Sex trafficked victims are deceived or abducted and forced into prostitution. Perpetrators tend to focus on low-income communities with little to no education and lure victims by promising a better life, more money, romantic relationships, or blackmailing. Victims of sex trafficking are brought to different states of Mexico, as well as other countries, namely the United States. They are guarded or locked up brothels, bars, hotels, homes, and other locations. While being held against their will, victims are drugged, raped, mentally abused, tortured, and or murdered. A majority of sex trafficking survivors experience mental health problems and sexual transmitted diseases. Victims are not the only ones affected by sex trafficking, their families are often threatened or held hostage by perpetrators to ensure compliance.

Human trafficking is said to be the third-largest illegal activity in Mexico, behind gun and drug trade. Organized crime is transforming immensely in Mexico as cartels and small gangs are getting into the business of human trafficking. Mexico’s head of financial intelligence unit (UIF), Santiago Nieto, describes that many of the country’s infamous cartels have branched out into trafficking, particularly those whose main business have been falling apart. Too add on, corruption has been on ongoing issue in Mexico. Government officials and police authorities have been caught participating in trafficking crimes such as receiving payments for facilitating the entry and illicit residency of captive traffickers.

The true scale of sex trafficking in Mexico is difficult to understand due to the lack of data from corruption, poor record keeping, and for the fact that only a small number of cases are reported to the authorities. The Mexican government recorded a total of 658 trafficking victims in 2019, 706 victims in 2018, 667 victims in 2016, and 814 victims in 2015. In 2019, amongst the 658 victims, it was reported that roughly 54 percent were woman, 18 percent were male, and 54 percent did not identify their gender.