An intensifying wave of violence between organized crime groups in Mexico, combined with ongoing efforts by cartels to secure new territories, has driven a sharp rise in the forced recruitment of individuals, particularly minors, according to an assessment released by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The report noted that while the Mexican government demonstrated general improvements compared to the previous period, it still falls short of minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking. According to the document, criminal organizations exploit drug addiction, murder, blackmail, intimidation, and kidnapping to force individuals into illicit activities and forced labor through debt bondage. Proceso reported that these recruitment methods target adolescents in states like Jalisco, Michoacán, and Veracruz, where young people are coopted or abducted under threats and held in captivity.
Did You Know?
Judicial Statistics and Investigation Figures in 2025
Official data cited across the reporting shows a mixed picture of judicial actions during 2025. Mexican authorities initiated 489 investigations into human trafficking offences, reflecting a decrease from the 661 cases investigated in 2024. This represents a drop of 172 cases. Conversely, the government launched criminal proceedings against 268 suspects in 2025—up from 162 in the preceding year—and courts handed down 124 convictions, compared to 98 convictions recorded in 2024. These judicial outcomes included 177 defendants prosecuted for sexual exploitation and 37 for forced labor, alongside 245 ongoing proceedings carried over from prior years. An additional 54 individuals were prosecuted for modalities not specified by the government.
While legislative adjustments under President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration introduced technical amendments, institutional gaps in prosecuting official corruption continue to draw international scrutiny.
Official complicity investigation faces hurdles across state agencies
A central finding of the U.S. evaluation is the absence of criminal prosecutions or convictions against government officials involved in trafficking during the evaluation period. The Mexican government failed to initiate penal processes or secure convictions against public servants allegedly tied to human exploitation networks in 2025, contrasting with the prior year. Federal authorities possess broad jurisdiction over organized crime and cases involving accused government officials, but ongoing investigations into official complicity face hurdles due to variable resources across state prosecutors' offices and changes in inter-agency coordination bodies. In June 2025, the federal government removed the national coordination body for kidnapping, which had been responsible since 2023 for organizing trafficking investigations across different government levels.
Trafficking victims come from multiple foreign regions
Despite coordination issues, the Specialized Prosecutor for Crimes of Violence against Women and Trafficking in Persons (FEVIMTRA) and the Specialized Prosecutor for Organized Crime (FEMDO) kept their federal powers. The U.S. report noted that most trafficking victims in Mexico come from South and Central America, though some originate from Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mexico remains at Tier 2 in trafficking report
Why was Mexico placed on Tier 2 in the U.S. Trafficking in Persons report?
Mexico remained at Tier 2, a category that does not trigger sanctions but serves as an exhortation to increase efforts to fight trafficking and continue cooperating with the United States.
How many victims of human trafficking were identified in Mexico during 2025?
Mexican authorities and associated agencies identified victims in 2025, which included those reported by federal agencies, state governments, and an additional 417 identified by an NGO operating the national anti-trafficking hotline.
What specific penalties does Mexican law establish for human trafficking offenses?
Mexican law provides prison sentences ranging from 5 to 30 years for sexual trafficking and 5 to 20 years for labor trafficking, with increased penalties for cases involving specific vulnerabilities such as age, pregnancy, or disability. The report noted that penalties for sexual trafficking are proportional to those for other grave crimes, such as rape.