Human trafficking in Mexico: the dark side of tourism
By May, a record-breaking 20 million tourists had visited Mexico so far in 2026. But with increased tourism comes a heightened risk of human trafficking
By May, a record-breaking 20 million tourists had visited Mexico so far in 2026. But with increased tourism comes a heightened risk of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Women and children are most vulnerable. Warning: This article discusses sexual violence, which some readers might find distressing. Mixi Cruz was just 13 years old when her mother died. At first, she lived on the streets, then she turned to her elder stepsister for help. Once there, she was forced to manage household chores and pressured into sexual exploitation. "The hardest part was accepting that none of that happened simply because I was naive or stupid," the young woman, now 33, tells DW. "It happened to me because there are bad people who sell other people. And there are bad people who buy other people." In Mexico human trafficking has become one of the most lucrative economies in organized crime. According to the 2025 Global Organized Crime Index by the Swiss-based Global Initiative organization combating transnational organized crime, criminal synidicates are becoming more and more involved. These include the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel. Within just one year, the number of incidents reported to authorities spiked by 45%. India's lost children at risk in rail stations To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, July 30, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is calling for tighter, cross-border cooperation between judiciaries and law enforcement. Experts say that so far, only a fraction of the actual cases are being reported, let alone solved. Perpetrators exploit vulnerabilities Mixi Cruz was exploited by her own family. She was made to look after five children, and iron laundry until late at night.
She still has scars on her hands, from when she'd fall asleep and burn herself with the iron, she says. Not longer after, she was pressured into sex work for money. She was 14. Many survivors don't know at the time that they are experiencing sexual violence, she says. "Many think they're in love, or their own family sells them," Cruz explains. "From the time they're little, they're made to believe violence is normal, and just part of what love is." Online sexual abuse of children in Philippines To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In Mexico, the civil-society organization Consejo Ciudadano para la Seguridad y Justicia (Citizens' Council for Security and Justice) estimates that seven out of 10 human trafficking survivors are female. More than half of them are minors. Hidden human trafficking figure much higher, experts say "Human trafficking is a game of deceit, it involves a high level of emotional manipulation to isolate victims and prevent them from reaching out and building support networks," Gabriela Gonzalez Garcia explains. She is the director general of citizen services for the Citizens' Council. Her organization runs Mexico's only specialized 24-hour hotline, as well as a live chat, for people affected by human trafficking. Since it was founded in 2007, the organization has counted some 26,000 cases. But the real number, Gonzalez says, is far higher, likely around 98%. Ana Torres and three volunteers are in a red-light district near the edge of Mexico City. She's asked not to be mentioned by her real name. Now in her late 20s, she's been leading a street project for the past five years for El Pozo de Vida ("The Well of Life" in Spanish) that combats human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Each week, Torres and her colleagues visit a different part of Mexico's capital, speaking with the women there and offering help.
The BriefWire