Human trafficking risks identified in Mexico's tourism sector

A new study titled ‘Panorama de la Trata de Personas en el Turismo en México’, sponsored by Aeroméxico and released in conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), identifies vulnerabilities within the tourism sector in Mexico City, Cancún, and Puerto Vallarta.

Human trafficking remains one of the world's most lucrative crimes. In Mexico, data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP) indicates that between 2015 and 2025, 9,018 victims were identified, with 63 percent of cases recorded between 2020 and 2023 involving sexual exploitation.

In Quintana Roo, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo noted that the state is among those facing significant challenges with trafficking, particularly involving children. Federal and state authorities are reportedly collaborating on investigations, which have led to several arrests, including some foreign nationals.