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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
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FM AMCONSUL GUADALAJARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0554
INFO RUEHZI/WHA IM POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 1765
RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXC/ALL USCONS MEXICO
RUEHGD/AMCONSUL GUADALAJARA 4602

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUADALAJARA 000049 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/MEX 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG KCRM MX XM XS
SUBJECT: DHS/STATE HOSTS REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON SMUGGLING AND 
TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS 
 
REF: MEXICO 199 
 
GUADALAJAR 00000049  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. Summary:  In January, DHS and State's Bureau of Population, 
Refugees, and Migration (PRM) hosted a seminar within the 
framework of the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) in 
Manzanillo, Mexico.  The workshop focused on best practices in 
the prosecution of human smugglers and traffickers in Central 
and North America.  During the conference, joint U.S.-Mexico 
programs were lauded for several successful criminal 
prosecutions.  In addition, the conference identified various 
trends across the region:  1) Smugglers and traffickers are 
increasingly relying on imposters with genuine documents to 
transport persons as documents are harder to counterfeit and 
border security has intensified; 2) Governments are applying 
improved biometric technology and real-time databases of 
information to catch habitual criminals; and 3) Immigration 
agencies are utilizing training programs so that they can better 
identify and provide proper assistance to victims.  Participants 
pledged to follow up on conference initiatives, specifically 
with Mexico's offer to train other countries on cross-border 
investigations within the broader RCM framework. End Summary. 
 
U.S.-Mexico Joint Initiatives 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2. Mexico's Deputy Attorney General (Subprocurador Jurmdico y de 
Asuntos Internacionales, Procuraduria General de la Republica), 
Mr. Jose Luis Santiago Vasconselos, opened the conference 
highlighting the success of the U.S.-Mexico border security 
program called OASISS (Operation Against Smugglers Initiative on 
Safety and Security).  Since 2003, this program has dismantled 
organized crime and smuggling rings and increased protection of 
migrants from smugglers.  Vasconselos emphasized the two-way 
cooperation and confidence needed to establish and foster this 
program.  OASISS maintains a real-time database of information 
and is operational across nearly all border states except the 
Texas border with Tamaulipas (due to the Gulf Narcotics Cartel's 
presence there).  Nearly 500 indictments have been handed down 
in Baja California, Sonora, and Chihuahua as a result of these 
joint investigations and increased judicial cooperation on both 
sides of the border.  Given this success, Mexico offered to 
train other countries on how to implement a similar program. 
 
¶3. Successful joint investigations have also occurred away from 
the border between ICE and Mexican authorities.  Amembassy 
Mexico City's Acting ICE Attache Juan Estrada reviewed a number 
of successful cases involving the trafficking of women from 
Argentina and Hungary to Mexico, a minor Mexican child 
trafficked to South Carolina, and an internal Mexican 
trafficking case involving middle to upper class Mexicans 
involved in risque modeling. 
 
Recognizing Smuggling/Trafficking Victims 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. Due to Mexico's geography, the country is a transit point for 
many smuggling and trafficking victims, according to Mexico's 
Director of Migratory Control Mr. Alejandro Martinez Vera.  Many 
trafficking victims come from China, Slovakia, Ecuador, 
Argentina, El Salvador, and Honduras.  About 81% of these 
trafficking victims are forced into the sex trade, while 19% are 
forced into general labor.  Mexico is working on both 
investigations of these crimes as well as victim assistance.  In 
2007, Mexico trained 300 employees from the Instituto de 
Migracion (Migration Institute) and 170 other government 
employees on recognizing and assisting trafficking victims.  In 
November 2007, Mexico passed a law criminalizing trafficking of 
persons with sentences ranging from 6 to 18 years and entitling 
victims to recoup therapy, lost income, and transport costs 
(reftel). 
 
¶5. Mr. Tim Kimpan from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police 
highlighted certain characteristics to look for when identifying 
smuggling and trafficking persons.  He noted that holiday groups 
and sports teams are often used as covers to move large groups 
of people.  Smuggled persons usually lack detailed knowledge of 
their trip, have limited funds, and carry too much or too little 
luggage.  Trafficking victims usually have limited knowledge of 
their trip, do not have documentation, do not speak on their own 
behalf, have injuries/scars, have intimidated body language, 
suffer from malnutrition, purchased tickets in cash right before 
travel, and frequently move from location to location.  Kimpan 
stated it is often difficult to identify these groups due to the 
mobility and adaptability of organized rings and lack of trust 
from victims. 
 
GUADALAJAR 00000049  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
Recruitment Mechanisms for Trafficking 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. Most trafficking victims are lured into trouble with false 
promises of education, tourism, or romance according to DHS/ICE 
presenters.  Creative stories are presented by organized groups 
who seek out victims through intermediaries such as travel 
agents and corrupt government officials.  These intermediaries 
assist victims with visas and other documentation.  Most of 
these victims end up forced into labor at exotic dance clubs, 
massage parlors, adult book stores, construction sites, or 
restaurants. 
 
Fraud and Biometric Trends 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7. As fraud continues, governments are trying to implement 
biometric technology to combat this phenomenon.  The United 
States has operated the US VISIT program since 2004, taking 
photos and fingerprints of about 100 million visitors to the 
United States annually.  US VISIT has proven to be a valuable 
tool in identifying alien smugglers who use multiple identities. 
 DHS realizes that they are failing to identify criminals due to 
the lack of U.S. exit controls, but are still evaluating the 
logistical implementation of such a program.  U.S. officials 
stated that the overwhelming majority of fraud encountered 
involved imposters on real documents, as it is getting harder to 
alter documents and cross the border illegally.  Some trends 
involve Chinese posing as Japanese, middle aged Asian 
individuals posing as elderly persons in wheelchairs, Brazilians 
using stolen Portuguese passports, Peruvians using altered 
Italian passports, and a variety of nationals using stolen 
Spanish passports.  Many Iraqis are also being smuggled into the 
United States via Latin America and Mexico.  Mexico noted that 
many valid Mexican passports are stolen and used by criminals, 
as the document itself is hard to alter or falsify.  Honduras 
and other countries are working to improve the security of their 
passports, but many countries are still challenged at local 
level by  civil registry lists of dubious validity. 
 
Conference Specifics 
-------------------- 
 
¶8. Amembassy Mexico City's U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
and State's PRM bureau jointly hosted the RCM workshop in 
Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico from January 15-17, 2008.  The 
conference theme focused on best practices in the prosecution of 
traffickers and migrant smugglers.  This meeting was held to 
fulfill an RCM commitment under the 2007 USG Presidency under 
the theme, "Effective Cooperation in Combating Trafficking in 
Persons."  Other topics not specifically mentioned included 
victim protection/services and public awareness campaigns.  The 
conference organizers emphasized the need to take a 
comprehensive approach to investigations/prosecutions (e.g., 
from victims assistance to victims providing useful 
investigation information) and the need for follow-up on 
conference initiatives.  About 40 participants from the 
following countries and organizations were in attendance: United 
States, Mexico, Canada, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El 
Salvador, Dominican Republic, IOM (International Organization 
for Migration), UNHCR (Office of the U.N. High Commissioner on 
Refugees) and UNODC (U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime).  Honduras, 
as RCM President Pro-Tempore will host the next Vice-Ministerial 
meeting, with a theme of human rights and security, during which 
follow-up activities to this meeting will be considered. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9. Given these recent smuggling and trafficking trends, Consular 
sections in Central and North America should be on the lookout 
for more potential intending emigrants and trafficking victims 
at visa and passport windows.  Consular officers should be aware 
of how to identify these applicants as more of them seek 
legitimate travel documents to enter the United States, or 
attempt to impersonate legitimate document holders. 
 
¶10. This cable was cleared by State/PRM and Amembassy Mexico 
City's DHS/CBP office. 
RAMOTOWSKI