Human Trafficking Networks Exploit Social Media in Mexico and Argentina

Traffickers in Mexico are increasingly using social‑media platforms and online games to recruit children and adolescents. According to Reinserta, 62% of trafficking reports in Mexico originated from digital environments, with Facebook accounting for 22% of online recruitment, Instagram 18% and WhatsApp 15%. Online games such as Free Fire, Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft are also cited as venues where perpetrators pose as virtual friends before manipulating victims.

In Argentina, the public prosecutor unit PROTEX warns that false job offers posted on social networks and messaging apps have become a primary method of luring victims. Initial contact is often made through private messages, after which traffickers gather personal data, isolate the target and use digital tools to control and exploit them. Both agencies stress the transnational nature of the internet, calling for stronger digital‑forensic capacities, cross‑border cooperation and rapid preservation of electronic evidence to combat the evolving threat.