GLOBAL SEX TRAFFICKING:
PART IV – LATIN AMERICA
By Trevor K. McNeil
The Big Picture
Drugs and sex trafficking provide billions to crime gangs
Drugs and sex trafficking of children add up to big money for gangs & cartels in Latin America. While not as prevalent as in other parts of the world, more of the focus being on the drug trade, Latin America is dealing with its own growing sex trafficking issues. Particularly of young children. Corrupt governments throughout the region have moved at centipede speed in reaction to the crisis.
Comings and Goings
Much of the sex trafficking trade relies on the immigration system. Organized crime groups such as Coyotes and street-level groups like MS-13 work with sex traffickers, to exploit the flow of migrates as cover. This makes it easier to get sex trafficking victims across borders without being detected. Victims are moved to large cities and tourist spots that have brothels, sex tourism bars, strip clubs and pornography centers where traffickers require victims to take part in prostitution and sexual slavery.
Stats
South America is one of the biggest sources and destination locations for human traffickers. About twenty percent of sex trafficking victims are children. Shipped out of their native country and abused by criminals in the United States, Spain, Italy, Canada and the Netherlands.
