Officials often portray human trafficking as being controlled by large, organized crime groups — frequently referred to as “cartels” — but the reality on the US-Mexico border illustrates that there is a far wider array of groups behind this problem.
There are now several hundred crime groups present across Mexico, each of which operates with varying degrees of power and sophistication and engages in a wide variety of criminal activities. Many of them are also connected to human trafficking.
However, the extent of that involvement depends on several factors, ranging from the local organized crime landscape to law enforcement capacity and migratory flows.
Investigation Chapters
Human Trafficking on the US-Mexico Border: Family Clans, Coyotes, or ‘Cartels’?
Human trafficking is one of the most complex and misunderstood criminal economies in the world. This is especially true along the US-Mexico border.
Death and Disappearance: Human Trafficking in Baja California
In Tijuana, local pimps often form part of small, family-based human trafficking networks, which can also work with organized crime groups.
How Corruption, Complicity Fuel Human Trafficking in Ciudad Juárez
Human trafficking is prevalent and pervasive in Ciudad Juárez, and relies on either direct state participation, malpractice, or indifference.
