VZCZCXRO0252
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #1200/01 0672220
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 082220Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5724
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 MEXICO 001200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM ELAB KFRD KWMN MX PHUM PREF SMIG
SUBJECT: SEVENTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT- MEXICO (PA 
 
REF: A. 06 STATE 202745     B. 06 MEXICO 6568     C. 06 MEXICO 3423 
 
 
NOTE: This is the third part of a three part cable. End note. 
 
 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS - continued... 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
¶29. (SBU) QUESTION M. If government officials are involved in 
trafficking, what steps has the government taken to end such 
participation?  Have any government officials been prosecuted 
for involvement in trafficking or trafficking-related 
corruption?  Have any been convicted?  What sentence(s) was 
imposed?  Please provide specific numbers, if available. 
 
POST RESPONSE: The INM official Hector Amando Flores 
D'Olarte, involved in the Carreto trafficking case, was 
charged with illegal smuggling and received a sentence of 27 
years in prison and a fine of 858,246 Mexico pesos 
(approximately USD 78,450). While he received a legal 
injunction ("amparo") and was freed, a Mexican court 
revoked the injunction and issued a warrant for his arrest. 
He remains a fugitive. (See paragraph 22 for more 
information.) 
 
One of the trafficking victims identified in an INM detention 
center accused a local migration official in San Cristobal de 
las Casas, Chiapas, of providing protection to the 
traffickers. INM has removed the official and is 
investigating the case. 
 
¶30. (SBU) QUESTION N. If the country has an identified child 
sex tourism problem (as source or destination), how many 
foreign pedophiles has the government prosecuted or 
deported/extradited to their country of origin?  What are the 
countries of origin for sex tourists?  Do the country's child 
sexual abuse laws have extraterritorial coverage (similar to 
the U.S. PROTECT Act)?  If so, how many of the country's 
nationals have been prosecuted and/or convicted under the 
extraterritorial provision(s)? 
 
POST RESPONSE: Mexico has significant sex tourism, 
particularly in popular tourist destinations like Cancun and 
Acapulco as well as border towns like Tijuana. Sexual 
tourists reportedly arrive largely from the United States as 
well as the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, among other 
countries. 
 
The GOM has both arrested and extradited foreign pedophiles 
(see paragraph 22 and 26).  The government has no 
extraterritorial laws expressly addressing child sexual 
abuse.  However, Article 4 of the Mexican Penal Code provides 
jurisdiction to Mexican federal district courts for the 
prosecution of any defendants in a case in which the 
defendant or victim is Mexican or Mexican interests are 
official. 
 
¶31. (SBU) QUESTION O. Has the government signed, ratified, 
and/or taken steps to implement the following international 
instruments? Please provide the date of 
signature/ratification if appropriate. 
 
- ILO Convention 182 concerning the prohibition and immediate 
action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Mexico ratified on March 2000. 
 
- ILO Convention 29 and 105 on forced or compulsory labor. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Mexico ratified ILO Convention 29 on May 12, 
1934, and Convention 105 on June 1, 1959. 
 
- The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of 
the Child (CRC) on the sale of children, child prostitution, 
and child pornography. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Mexico ratified on January 16, 2002. 
 
- The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in 
Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN 
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Mexico ratified on May 4, 2003. 
 
 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶32. (SBU) QUESTION A. Does the government assist victims, for 
 
MEXICO 00001200  002 OF 006 
 
 
example, by providing temporary to permanent residency 
status, relief from deportation, shelter and access to legal, 
medical and psychological services?  If so, please explain. 
Does the country have victim care and victim health care 
facilities? Does the country have facilities dedicated to 
helping victims of trafficking?  If so, can post provide the 
number of victims placed in these care facilities? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  The rights of crime victims are guaranteed in 
the Mexican Constitution, regardless of the victim's 
nationality.  Both the Mexican federal government and some 
states have crime victim's assistance programs.  The programs 
cover legal assistance and medical services and psychological 
counseling.  The DIF, for example, provides temporary shelter 
and medical services to unaccompanied minors, with programs 
on the northern border. These DIF shelters likely serve 
victims of trafficking, but currently DIF does not provide 
tailored services to trafficking victims and has not 
established a referral system. The DIF tries to locate 
parents or family members in order to repatriate the 
children.  The quality of the programs varies widely.  While 
some health screening takes place, undocumented aliens are 
not routinely screened for HIV/AIDS.  Even when tested, 
positive results may not show up for months. 
 
In September, the INM authorized the issuance of humanitarian 
visas, granted to victims who are willing to assist in 
prosecution cases. The visas are issued with a validity of 
one year and are renewable. INM has received some criticism 
since the procedure and criteria for authorizing the visas 
are unclear. INM reported that it has issued 11 visas to 
trafficking victims: four from Argentina, four from Honduras, 
two from China and one from El Salvador. 
 
The INM recently constructed a large new facility in 
Tapachula, Chiapas, to process migrants. This facility 
provides separate accommodations for men, women, children and 
families. Several trafficking victims have been identified in 
the facility and passed to NGO or DIF-run shelters. 
 
The USAID Shelter Project conducted a baseline study and 
already has identified three shelters operated by civil 
society organizations in Mexico City and Cancun, which USAID 
will support to convert some of their facilities to provide 
services exclusively to trafficking victims. 
 
¶33. (SBU) QUESTION B. Does the government provide funding or 
other forms of support to foreign or domestic NGOs for 
services to victims? Please explain. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  The federal and state governments do provide 
funding and other forms of support to domestic NGOs for 
services to victims; however, the level of funding and 
support is very limited. 
 
Covering the period from July 2005 to June 2006, INMUJERES 
provided funding for the following local organizations: 
 
-- Consejo Regional Indigena de la Sierra Negra; 176,100 
Mexican pesos (USD 16,100); the project launched an awareness 
campaign to prevent the sexual exploitation of adolescents in 
targeted communities in the state of Puebla. 
-- Centro "Fray Julian Garces" Derechos Humanos y Desarollo 
Local; 250,000 pesos (USD 22,850); the program raised 
awareness and promoted legislation and public policy to 
address the trafficking of women for prostitution and the 
rights of women. 
-- Brigada Callejera de Apoyo a la Mujer; 220,000 (USD 
20,110); the program ran a citizen campaign in major cities 
throughout the country against sexual exploitation of 
vulnerable girls and women. 
 
¶34. (SBU) QUESTION C. Do the government's law enforcement and 
social services personnel have a formal system of identifying 
victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they 
come in contact (e.g. foreign persons arrested for 
prostitution or immigration violations)? Is there a referral 
process in place, when appropriate, to transfer victims 
detained, arrested or placed in protective custody by law 
enforcement authorities to NGOs that provide short- or 
long-term care? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  The DIF operates shelters for unaccompanied 
migrant children who are intercepted at the border.  Shelters 
operate in border towns for those adults who self-refer. 
Third Country Nationals (TCNs) intercepted at the border are 
generally placed in a migration detention station until they 
can be repatriated.  NGOs such as Casa Alianza offer shelter 
to street children, mainly adolescents, who are often victims 
of sexual exploitation; and Casa de las Mercedes offers 
shelter and training to former prostitutes and their 
 
MEXICO 00001200  003 OF 006 
 
 
children. The INM has also referred several trafficking 
victims to NGOs or state-run shelters for assistance. 
 
¶35. (SBU) QUESTION D. Are the rights of victims respected, or 
are victims treated as criminals?  Are victims detained, 
jailed, or deported?  If detained or jailed, for how long? 
Are victims fined?  Are victims prosecuted for violations of 
other laws, such as those governing immigration or 
prostitution? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Violators of Mexican immigration law usually 
are deported within a few weeks, especially if they are from 
Central America. Although according to Mexican law an illegal 
immigrant can be sentenced up to two years in prison, Mexico 
follows the Palermo Protocol, establishing that illegal 
migration is not prosecuted. 
 
Grupo Beta, a unit of INM that operates on the northern and 
southern borders, is mandated to deliver aid and protection 
to migrants or nationals in Mexico. In 2006, Grupo Beta 
rescued 7,745 migrants at risk and provided immediate medical 
attention to 694 of them; found 148 lost migrants; provided 
social assistance to 103,732 migrants and legal assistance in 
222 cases; and authorized protection to 92 migrants who were 
victims of crime, some of whom were trafficking victims. 
 
In 2006, Mexican authorities designed a national program to 
raid bars, conducting 872 operations and detaining 799 
foreigners working illegally. While this population and line 
of work are vulnerable to trafficking, no trafficking victims 
were identified. 
 
¶36. (SBU) QUESTION E. Does the government encourage victims 
to assist in the investigation and prosecution of 
trafficking?  May victims file civil suits or seek legal 
action against the traffickers?  Does anyone impede the 
victims' access to such legal redress?  If a victim is a 
material witness in a court case against a former employer, 
is the victim permitted to obtain other employment or to 
leave the country pending trial proceedings?  Is there a 
victim restitution program? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  The PFP, the PGR, and the INM do encourage 
victims to cooperate with investigations; however, the 
victims rarely self-identify and the law enforcement agents 
often lack the training necessary to identify trafficking 
victims.  The INM has managed to identify a few victims and 
grant humanitarian visas, regularizing their status in 
Mexico, to those willing to participate in investigations. 
The INM reported that it has granted such visas to 11 
trafficking victims.  The federal law passed by the Senate 
and now pending in the lower house of Congress contains 
provisions for a victim restitution program. 
 
¶37. (SBU) QUESTION F. What kind of protection is the 
government able to provide for victims and witnesses?  Does 
it provide these protections in practice?  What type of 
shelter or services does the government provide?  Does it 
provide shelter or housing benefits to victims or other 
resources to aid the victims in rebuilding their lives? Where 
are child victims placed (e.g. in shelters, foster-care, or 
juvenile justice detention centers)? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  The DIF manages 20 children's shelters (19 on 
the northern border with the U.S. and one on the southern 
border with Guatemala).  The 19 shelters on the northern 
border are for unaccompanied Mexican minors caught in the 
U.S. or in Mexico trying to cross the border. Trained shelter 
staff conducts interviews with the children for a variety of 
victim issues, and then tries to reunite the children with 
family when appropriate.  Minors that are "other than 
Mexican" are sent to the shelter in Tapachula, Chiapas, and 
then repatriated to their home countries. The GOM worked 
closely with UNICEF to improve the shelter system on the 
northern border, and now the GOM is has worked with the IOM 
to build similar capacity on the southern border. IDH (the 
DIF equivalent in Chiapas) is currently caring for two 
trafficking victims. (See paragraph 22.) In other cases, the 
GOM has referred victims to NGOs. NOTE: The names and details 
of ongoing investigations are not/not for public disclosure. 
End Note. 
 
In the February 2006 meeting of the USG-GOM SLEP Working 
Group on Organized Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in 
Persons, law enforcement officials from the PFP and PGR 
acknowledged the importance of providing victim protection 
and they were open to the idea of including a victim/witness 
advocate on the dedicated investigation units. 
 
¶38. (SBU) QUESTION G. Does the government provide any 
specialized training for government officials in recognizing 
 
MEXICO 00001200  004 OF 006 
 
 
trafficking and in the provision of assistance to trafficked 
victims, including the special needs of trafficked children? 
Does the government provide training on protections and 
assistance to its embassies and consulates in foreign 
countries that are destination or transit countries?  Does it 
urge those embassies and consulates to develop ongoing 
relationships with NGOs that serve trafficked victims? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Since 1998, the PGR has trained its officers 
to deal with child victims of sexual abuse.  The Mexican 
consulates along the U.S. southern border are trained at 
handling these types of cases as well.  The 
Interinstitutional Working Group on Trafficking submitted a 
proposal to the USG to establish a network among the U.S. 
agencies and Mexican Consulates in the U.S. to help address 
trafficking victim needs and assist in prosecutions; the GOM 
also solicited TIP training from the USG for its consular 
officers serving in the U.S. 
 
USG, NGOs and international organizations have participated 
in a number of training sessions on trafficking organized for 
various state and federal agencies officials, with extensive 
training for PFP officers (see paragraph 25). 
 
¶39. (SBU) QUESTION H. Does the government provide assistance, 
such as medical aid, shelter, or financial help, to its 
repatriated nationals who are victims of trafficking? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Through the DIF, the government administers 
assistance programs for children repatriated to Mexico 
principally from the United States.  The DIF's 
inter-institutional Project for the Attention to Minors on 
the border incorporates actions of various government and 
societal institutions.  The program's objectives are to 
develop a campaign for the permanent protection of children 
on both sides of Mexico's northern border; consolidate a 
network of shelters and health centers; and develop a system 
of reintegration for repatriated children. 
 
Mexico has also begun to make advances under the respective 
memorandums of understanding signed with Guatemala, El 
Salvador, and Belize by arranging for the secure and 
organized repatriation of Central Americans - with special 
attention given to women and children.  Under new procedures 
instituted in 2005, the INM must notify the appropriate 
consulate of children held in detention and scheduled for 
repatriation.  The repatriation of children must take place 
at agreed upon times and locations and they are transported 
separately from adults.  In the case of Guatemalans, children 
are placed under the responsibility of Bienestar Social, the 
Guatemalan child welfare institution.  In some special cases, 
children are also placed with Casa Alianza in Guatemala City. 
Post has heard from some NGO contacts working on the southern 
border that the new procedures are still not formulized or 
consistent, but authorities on both sides of the border are 
aware of the continuing issue. 
 
¶40. (SBU) QUESTION I. Which international organizations or 
NGOs, if any, work with trafficking victims?  What type of 
services do they provide?  What sort of cooperation do they 
receive from local authorities?  Note: If post reports that a 
government is incapable of assisting and protecting TIP 
victims, then post should explain thoroughly.  Funding, 
personnel, and training constraints should be noted, if 
applicable. Conversely, the lack of political will to address 
the problem should be noted as well. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Numerous NGOs and international organizations 
work with trafficking victims. 
 
Alternativas Pacificas, based in Monterrey, developed a 
holistic shelter model for domestic violence victims and 
created a national network of shelters. Since its 
establishment, the NGO has assisted women trafficking 
victims. 
 
Asociacion Comunitaria de Apoyo a la Salud is a faith-based 
organization, based in Ciudad Juarez, that provides a health 
clinic for women prostitutes, some trafficking victims, and a 
childcare program for the prostitutesQ, children. 
 
Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition (BSCC) works on the US 
and Mexican sides of the border, with offices in San Diego 
and Cancun. BSCC has launched awareness campaigns, developed 
a coalition of civil society organizations to combat 
trafficking, and trained Mexican law enforcement and other 
officials. BSCC works closely with state-level DIF offices, 
the State Commission for Human Rights and federal law 
enforcement. 
 
CARITAS runs shelters in Mexico City and elsewhere in the 
 
MEXICO 00001200  005 OF 006 
 
 
country, addressing the needs of a variety of victims, 
including those of trafficking. 
 
Casa Alianza Mexico runs a network of shelters dedicated to 
street children.  Most of the children are victims of 
domestic violence as well as trafficking. Casa Alianza 
provides comprehensive services like food, education, health 
care, religion, legal counseling, and psychological 
assistance. Casa Alianza works with DIF and also receives the 
cooperation of INM when assistance is needed to repatriate 
undocumented migrants. 
 
Casa de las Mercedes provides assistance and support to women 
of all ages who live on the streets and are victims of 
mistreatment, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation. The NGO 
runs a shelter in which these women and their children can 
live (as long as necessary) and receive medical and 
psychological attention, food, legal counseling and 
education. 
 
The Casa del Migrante runs shelters in Tapachula, Ciudad 
Juarez, and Tijuana where they primarily attend to migrants 
but also encounter TIP victims.  In its Tapachula shelter, 
the organization recently added a separate area dedicated for 
trafficking victims. Casa del Migrante has a good working 
relationship with INM. 
 
Centro de Estudios e Investigacion en Desarollo y Asistencia 
Social (CEIDAS) is promoting awareness of trafficking through 
the media, academic conferences, studies and other outreach 
strategies. CEIDAS works closely with members of Congress on 
federal anti-trafficking legislation. 
 
Centro Integral de Atencion a la Mujer (CIAM), located in 
Cancun, provides short and long term services to women 
victims of domestic and sexual violence - including crisis 
intervention, legal assistance, medical and psychological and 
vocational counseling, and protection. CIAM provides services 
to trafficking victims, conducts anti-TIP public awareness 
campaigns, and works with the hotel industry and the local 
government in efforts to combat trafficking. 
 
Centro Madre Antonia-Orden de las Madres Oblatas is a 
faith-based organization that provides a range of services to 
vulnerable populations throughout Mexico Q) including legal, 
social, medical, psychological and vocational assistance. The 
Madres Oblatas work in "red zones" for prostitution, also a 
destination for trafficking victims. 
 
The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) actively 
works to raise awareness about TIP, such as on programs 
designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of minors, 
particularly by trying to lower demand.  CATW has trained law 
enforcement on trafficking. CATW reports having received 
funding from the INMUJERES and the Mexico City Government. 
 
The Fray Julian Garces Human Rights Center, based in the 
state of Tlaxcala, works with trafficking victims in that 
area and has received funding support from INMUJERES. 
 
Fundacion Infantia works with the tourism industry on 
prevention of child sexual exploitation.  Fundacion Infantia 
works with the BSCC and the ILO in providing training to 
government entities and schools and has worked with local DIF 
offices. 
 
International Organization for Migration works extensively 
with the GOM, mostly with the INM to provide training to 
immigration officials on both the northern and southern 
borders.  The IOM works closely with Casa del Migrante in 
Tapachula, Chiapas, as well as Casa de las Mercedes in Mexico 
City, among many other NGOs and shelters. The INM regularly 
contacts the IOM for assistance with suspected trafficking 
victims.   NOTE: The names of NGOs working with the INM with 
victim protection and assistance are not/not for public 
disclosure. End Note. 
 
The ILO/DIF program to eradicate commercial sexual 
exploitation of minors is operating  in the 63 cities 
considered the most vulnerable to the phenomena, in 18 
states: Baja California (1 city), Campeche (1), Chiapas (1), 
Chihuahua (3) Coahuila (11), Colima (5), Estado de Mexico 
(1), Guerrero (5), Jalisco (12), Morelos (3), Nuevo Leon (5), 
Oaxaca (1), Quintana Roo (4), Sonora (1), Tabasco (1) 
Tlaxcala (1), Veracruz (6) and Yucatan (1). 
 
INMUJERES is also involved in anti-TIP efforts, mostly 
through funding programs and in its program to counter 
violence against women ("For a Life Without Violence") to 
educate women on their rights. 
 
 
MEXICO 00001200  006 OF 006 
 
 
Organization of American States (OAS) provided funds for 
workshops, conferences, and public awareness campaigns in 
Mexico.  The OAS funds also supported initiatives 
administered by the ILO and others aimed at reducing child 
labor and the commercial sexual exploitation of children. 
 
La Pastoral de Migrantes, based in Mexico City, works 
nationwide to organize workshops and trainings to prevent the 
trafficking in persons. 
 
Sin Fronteras has a good working relationship with the GOM, 
particularly with the INM and the SRE's Secretariat for 
Global Affairs. Sin Fronteras provides legal and social 
services for migrants in Mexico, and it has been called upon 
to assist the INM with providing assistance to trafficking 
victims (see paragraph 22).  NOTE: The names of NGOs working 
with the INM with victim protection and assistance are 
not/not for public disclosure. End Note. 
 
World Vision has conducted in awareness campaigns, 
principally focused on sexual commercial exploitation of 
children, in Baja California. World Vision has partnered with 
BSCC on outreach efforts. 
 
At this point, the GOM is not fully capable of assisting 
trafficking victims beyond the network of DIF shelters for 
Mexican children. There have been several cases during the 
year in which a trafficking victim was identified by 
government officials and turned over DIF-run shelters or to 
NGOs for victim's assistance and protection. 
 
(End of Part III.) 
 
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity 
 
GARZA