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FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0857
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 MEXICO 000721 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO BARBARA FLECK G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN MX PHUM PREF SMIG
SUBJECT: EIGHTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT 
- MEXICO (PART 1 OF 2) 
 
REF: A. 2006 STATE 202745 
     ¶B. (B) 2007 STATE 150188 
     ¶C. (C) 2008 STATE 02731 
 
¶1. (SBU) The mission's point of contact on the Trafficking in 
Persons (TIP) Report is Poloff Janelle Guest.  She may be 
reached by telephone at (52) (55) 5080-2000, ext. 4806, or by 
fax at (52) (55) 5080-2247 or GuestJR@state.gov).  Post 
requests that the names of the non-governmental organizations 
(NGOs) working with the Government of Mexico (GOM) providing 
victim protection and assistance not be disclosed in this 
report.  Post also requests that the names and details 
connected to ongoing investigations not be made public. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Mexico is a country of origin, transit, and 
destination for persons trafficked for sexual and labor 
exploitation.  While there are no reliable figures as to the 
extent of the trafficking problem, Mexico's geographic 
location along primary transportation routes for illegal 
migration into the U.S. as well as the country's high level 
of organized criminal gang activity leaves little doubt that 
the transnational and domestic trafficking numbers are 
substantial. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The GOM has made significant and laudable 
advancements to address trafficking in persons in Mexico over 
the past year.  While advancements are uneven across federal 
agencies, and expertise needs to be developed at all levels 
of government, the GOM has proactively addressed all facets 
of TIP, with measurable results and can be expected to 
continue to build on its successes.  In particular, President 
Felipe Calderon passed a federal anti-trafficking in persons 
law to make trafficking in persons a crime at the punishable 
at the federal level.  In January 2008, the Congress approved 
a $7 million USD budget to construct a shelter for victims of 
trafficking.  The GOM expects to open two additional shelters 
for trafficking victims later in 2008.  Notwithstanding 
progress on the prosecutorial front, the GOM needs to do more 
to strengthen prosecution of outstanding cases.  A vetted 
unit within the Attorney's General could make an important 
contribution to the Government's efforts to prosecute TIP 
cases. The Government recently assigned TIP cases to the unit 
that handles crimes against women; it is beginning to 
organize this unit and its case load, and it is too early to 
assess the effectiveness of this new arrangement. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The following significant steps forward in fighting 
TIP have taken place in Mexico since the June 2007 report: 
 
-- The states of Chihuahua, Guerrero, Zacatecas, Mexico, and 
Sonora (January 2007, April 2007, September 2007, December 
2007 and March 2008 respectively) passed comprehensive state 
anti-TIP legislation.  However, the states of Coahuila, Baja 
California, Jalisco, Michoacan, Puebla, Guanajuato, Tlaxcala, 
Distrito Federal and Quintana Roo also have laws that address 
trafficking in persons as a crime but do not include all 
elements of trafficking. 
 
-- On November 27, 2007, President Felipe Calderon signed a 
law which criminalizes trafficking in persons at the federal 
level. 
 
-- The National Migration Institute (INM) issued nine visas 
to trafficking victims, contingent on their participation in 
prosecution efforts. 
 
-- 40 Mexican government officials, including investigators 
and technical officers from Secretaria de Seguridad Publica 
(SSP) and Centro Nacional de Planeacion e Informacion para el 
combate a la delincuencia (CENAPI) participated in a 24-hour 
training course in electronic surveillance, among numerous 
other training courses in the last year. 
 
-- On July 16, 2007, agents from Mexico's Federal 
Investigation Agency (AFI) arrested Ignacio Antonio 
Santoyo-Cervantes a.k.a "Sony" pursuant to a federal arrest 
warrant in connection to the DIVAS trafficking organization. 
Santoyo-Cervantes is considered one of the main leaders of 
this international trafficking organization. 
 
-- On February 1, 2008, Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora 
appointed Maria Guadalupe Morfin Otero as the lead of the 
newly reconstituted Crimes Against Women and Trafficking in 
Persons Unit (FEVIMTRA), which was formally known as FEVIM. 
FEVIMTRA will be charged with prosecuting all TIP cases 
except those involving organized crime, which will continue 
to be handled by a subunit of the Organized Crime Unit 
(SIEDO). 
 
 
MEXICO 00000721  002 OF 011 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) QUESTION A. Is the country of origin, transit, 
and/or destination for internationally trafficked men, women, 
or children?  Provide, where possible, numbers or estimates 
for each group; how they were trafficked, to where, and for 
what purpose.  Does the trafficking occur within the 
country's borders?  Does it occur in territory outside of the 
government's control (e.g. in a civil war situation)? Are any 
estimates or reliable numbers available as to the extent or 
magnitude of the problem?  What is (are) the sources(s) of 
available information on trafficking in persons or what plans 
are in place (if any) to undertake documentation of 
trafficking?  How reliable are the numbers and these sources? 
 Are certain groups of persons more at risk of being 
trafficked (e.g. women and children, boys versus girls, 
certain ethnic groups, refugees, etc.)? 
 
POST RESPONSE: Mexico is a country of origin, transit, and 
destination for trafficked men, women, and children for 
purposes of sexual and labor exploitation.  Of those 
transited through or destined for Mexico, the vast majority 
of trafficking victims come from Central America, with a 
lesser number of victims originating from the Caribbean, 
Eastern Europe, and Asia.  Those in transit are largely 
trafficked to the United States.  Most victims originating 
from Mexico also are trafficked to the U.S., with smaller 
numbers to Europe, Asia and Canada.  Mexico has a significant 
problem with internal trafficking; often women and girls are 
trafficked to the northern border, most prominently Tijuana, 
or to cities where sex tourism is prevalent, such as Cancun 
and Acapulco. 
 
According to local NGOs, the following forms of trafficking 
can be associated with geographic regions of Mexico: labor 
exploitation is predominant in Chiapas, Chihuahua, Oaxaca and 
Veracruz; trafficking linked to cultural traditions (parents 
sell, rent or barter children for money or business) is 
prevalent in the indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Chiapas 
and Guerrero; and sexual exploitation of children and women 
is prevalent in Acapulco, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, 
Zihuatenejo, Baja California and Mexico City. 
 
There are no reliable statistics regarding the extent of the 
trafficking problem.  The federal government, National Human 
Rights Commission (CNDH) and civil society have expressed 
interest in conducting national studies on trafficking but 
these initiatives have not been realized.  Certain studies 
have targeted specific populations or geographic areas.  The 
National Institute for Women (INMUJERES)- in collaboration 
with the Organization for American States (OAS), the National 
Migration Institute (INM) and the International Organization 
for Migration (IOM)- has completed a study on trafficked 
women and children on the northern border with emphasis on 
Baja California, but did not publish the report due to a lack 
of solid information. 
 
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported 
to other NGOs on trafficking that of the 54 trafficking 
victims they have assisted until January 2008, (80%) came 
from Central America (Guatemala 44%, Honduras 19%, El 
Salvador 7%) and (13%) from South America (mainly from 
Argentina and Colombia), and of the 54, 47 were women. 
 
Some statistics are available on specific trafficking victims 
and generally vulnerable populations. The INM reported that 
approximately 51,000 migrants, the vast majority from Central 
America, were detained in 2007.  However, some numbers may 
have been underreported. 
 
Other information on trafficking patterns that are available 
come from NGOs or academics.  However,  though, most of these 
reports tend to contain more anecdotal evidence than concrete 
statistics. 
 
Grupos Beta, a Mexican organization created to protect and 
carry-out humanitarian actions, rescue and save migrants who 
are at risk of danger published a 28-page pamphlet that will 
help foreign migrants who may become victims in Mexico.  The 
pamphlet includes contact information about Embassies and 
Consulates in Mexico, migrant rights and information for 
Grupos Betas around Mexico. 
 
The populations most vulnerable to trafficking tend to be 
women and children (both boys and girls), undocumented 
migrants (most often from Central America), as well as 
indigenous groups. 
 
¶6. (SBU) QUESTION B: Please provide a general overview of the 
trafficking situation in the country and any changes since 
the last TIP Report (e.g. changes in direction). (Other items 
 
MEXICO 00000721  003 OF 011 
 
 
to address may include: What kind of conditions are the 
victims trafficked into?  Which populations are targeted by 
the traffickers?  Who are the traffickers/exploiters?  Are 
they independent business people?  Small or family-based 
crime groups? Large international organized crime syndicates? 
 What methods are used to approach victims?  (Are they 
offered lucrative jobs, sold by their families, approached by 
friends of friends, etc.?)  What methods are used to move the 
victims (e.g., are false documents being used?).  Are 
employment, travel, and tourism agencies or marriage brokers 
involved with or fronting for traffickers or crime groups to 
traffic individuals? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Political will to address the problem is 
high, evidenced by actions taken by the federal and state 
governments since the last TIP report.  Four states passed 
anti-trafficking legislation: 
 
--the federal government passed anti-trafficking legislation; 
 
--Mexico's Attorney General's office (PGR) created a special 
prosecutor for trafficking crimes, adding responsibility for 
trafficking investigations to an existing unit charged with 
addressing  violent crimes against women (FEVIM); 
 
--the National Migration Institute (INM) issued humanitarian 
visas to trafficking victims; 
 
--Congress approved a $7 million USD budget to construct 
shelters specifically for trafficking victims. 
 
INM and state law enforcement undertook various training 
programs on trafficking, including a 24 hour training program 
on trafficking.  Moreover, the media has covered TIP in the 
newspapers frequently over the last year.  With efforts from 
civil society and government to confront the problem, both 
have significantly raised the profile of TIP in Mexico and 
have made measurable advancements in constructive cooperation 
with the one another. 
 
Nonetheless, government efforts to fight trafficking need to 
extend to witness protection and prosecutions. 
Because of the lack of concrete statistics on trafficking, 
the increase in the number of victims or the kinds of 
trafficking victims is difficult to ascertain.  The 
International Organization for Migration in collaboration 
with INMUJERES and OAS started a project which determined 
that migrants have developed a new route to the U.S. which 
includes travel from Guatemala by boat through the Pacific 
Ocean to Tijuana and finally across the Mexico-U.S. borders. 
NGOs say that there is the possibility that many victims of 
trafficking are involved while smugglers try to smuggle them 
through Mexico. 
 
In addition, the pattern of illegal migration from Mexico and 
Central American into the U.S. also puts a larger number of 
vulnerable persons at risk for coming into contact with 
traffickers.  Migrants from Mexico and Central America 
(especially women and children) are frequently smuggled into 
the U.S. with the promise of a lucrative job only to find 
themselves forced into prostitution or debt-bondage working 
conditions.  Some traffickers falsely offer victims help in 
reuniting them with their family in the U.S.  Other common 
methods used to approach/target victims include placing ads 
in newspapers that invite girls to participate in 
international exchanges or to start lucrative modeling 
careers.  Once the girl is isolated from family and friends, 
she is forced into prostitution.  Minors traveling alone from 
Central America through Mexico to the U.S. to meet with 
family members who left for the U.S. for better economic 
conditions often fall prey to traffickers while traveling 
without an adult. 
 
Indigenous groups often sell, rent or barter their children 
to traffickers for money.  Often times the children are sold 
and become victims of sex trafficking in tourist areas such 
as Cancun, Acapulco or Puerto Vallarta. 
 
Within Mexico, women and children from Mexico's poorest 
regions of Mexico move to the urban, tourist, and the 
northern border areas seeking economic opportunity, but they 
often end up working in the commercial sex industry or 
domestic work, for farm work (or all) due to trickery, 
threats, or physical violence by traffickers. 
 
The widespread use of professional alien smugglers contracted 
to help illegal migrants transit Mexico and cross into the 
U.S., increases the risk of falling prey to trafficking 
networks.  Traffickers often employ alien smugglers to both 
 
MEXICO 00000721  004 OF 011 
 
 
target and transport victims.  Alien smugglers use a wide 
variety of techniques to get people across the border, 
including false documents, hidden compartments, and dangerous 
desert crossings.  Among legitimate transportation services, 
taxi drivers serve as guides and facilitators for sex 
tourists, common in border towns like Tijuana. 
 
Many organized criminal organizations from Mexico and other 
countries use Mexico as a staging and training area for women 
and young girls destined for brothels and table dance bars in 
the U.S.  There is reported involvement of criminal gangs 
from Mexico, Central America, Europe, Japan, China and 
several other countries.  Trafficking is also operated by 
small family networks. 
 
For labor exploitation, traffickers often acquire legal work 
documents to transport victims to factories or 
farms/plantations, where employers then confiscate documents 
and impose extreme working conditions.  Regional migrants 
within Mexico (such as farm workers from southern Mexico 
seeking work in northern states and migrants from Central 
America seeking work from farms in southern Mexico) are also 
victims of such exploitation. 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) QUESTION C:  Which government agencies are involved 
in anti-trafficking efforts and which agency, if any, has the 
lead? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  On November 27, 2007, President Calderon 
signed federal anti-trafficking legislation which makes TIP a 
crime punishable at the federal level.  Under the new law an 
interagency committee was created with all government 
agencies to coordinate on this issue.  Agencies participating 
on the Inter-agency committee to address TIP include: 
National Migration Institute (INM), Mexican Attorney 
General's Office (PGR), National Institute for Women 
(INMUJERES), Secretary of Health, Mexico's Foreign Relations 
Secretariat (SRE), Secretary of government (SEGOB), Secretary 
 
SIPDIS 
for Public Security (SSP), Secretary for Health, Secretary 
for Communications and transportation (SCT), Secretary of 
Labor STPS), Secretary of Public Education (SEP), along with 
three academic experts, and three representatives from civil 
society.  According to the law, President Calderon needs to 
appoint the agency that will preside over the committee but 
has not taken that decision to date. 
 
The Inter-Agency Commission is mandated to develop a National 
Program to Prevent and Punish Trafficking in Persons and 
establish prevention, protection, and care campaigns for 
trafficking in persons based on the principle of safeguarding 
human dignity and human rights with special attention to 
women and children.  The committee is also expected to work 
closely with the Council on Public Safety in order to monitor 
and assess the results. 
 
¶8. (SBU) QUESTION D:  What are the limitations on the 
government's ability to address this problem in practice? 
For example, is funding for police or other institutions 
inadequate?  Is overall corruption a problem?  Does the 
government lack the resources to aid victims? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  The principle obstacle to effectively 
addressing trafficking in Mexico is the lack of adequate 
participation at the state and local levels in passing and 
implementing comprehensive state legislation to criminalize 
trafficking in persons at the state level.  Although four 
states enacted comprehensive TIP penal codes, others failed 
to implement penal codes which address all aspects of 
trafficking.  Federal legislation was passed on November 27, 
¶2007. 
 
TIP must also compete with other law enforcement priorities 
in Mexico.  Over the past year, President Calderon has 
committed his administration and an increasing amount of 
human and financial resources toward the fight against drug 
trafficking and violence associated with the drug trade. 
Although TIP initiatives are given a priority, TIP enforcers 
must also address the broader problem of spiraling violence 
and criminality in Mexico.  The GOM puts scarce TIP resources 
to good use, however, and has accepted USG assistance and 
training.  Funds dedicated by the POTUS initiative 
contributed significantly to local efforts, particularly 
through ICE-coordinated law enforcement training, as well as 
USAID technical assistance programs.  In addition, USAID's 
TIP Shelter Project continues to strengthen current shelters 
that accept trafficking victims, giving Mexico time to 
establish shelters dedicated to trafficking victims. 
 
 
MEXICO 00000721  005 OF 011 
 
 
Training needs to continue and expand in the areas of 
awareness-raising (the distinction between trafficking and 
smuggling remains unclear, particularly among local law 
enforcement officials); the identification of and interaction 
with victims; and the provision of services to trafficking 
victims.  A culture of impunity persists and corruption 
exists at all levels of government, especially at the state 
and local level.  Traffickers at times pay off authorities to 
avoid prosecution. 
 
¶9. (SBU) QUESTION E: To what extent does the government 
systematically monitor its anti-trafficking efforts (on all 
fronts-prosecution, victim protection, and prevention) and 
periodically make available, publicly or privately and 
directly or through regional/international organizations, its 
assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  With the passage of the new federal 
anti-trafficking legislation, the GOM plans to explore 
options for systematically monitoring its anti-trafficking 
efforts. 
 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS: 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶10. (SBU) QUESTION A:  Does the country have a law 
specifically prohibiting trafficking in persons --both for 
sexual and non-sexual purposes (e.g. forced labor)?  If so, 
please specifically cite the name of the law and its date of 
enactment and provide the exact language of the law 
prohibiting TIP and all other law(s) used to prosecute TIP 
cases.  Does the law(s) cover both internal and external 
(transnational) forms of trafficking?  If not, under what 
other laws can traffickers be prosecuted?  For example, are 
there laws against slavery or the exploitation of 
prostitution by means of force, fraud or coercion?  Are these 
other laws being used in trafficking cases?  Please provide a 
full inventory of trafficking laws, including non-criminal 
statutes that allow for civil penalties against alleged 
trafficking crimes, (e.g., civil forfeiture laws and laws 
against illegal debt). 
 
POST RESPONSE: On November 27, 2007, Mexico passed a federal 
law titled: "Law to Prevent and Punish Trafficking in 
Persons," which will amend, supplement, and revoke various 
provisions of the Federal Law Against Organized Crime, the 
Federal Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Federal Penal 
Code. 
 
Article 1 of the reads: "The purpose of this law is to 
prevent and punish trafficking in persons, and to protect, 
care for, and assist the victims thereof, in order to ensure 
that victims and potential victims, whether residing in 
Mexico permanently or temporarily, and Mexicans abroad, can 
develop freely as persons.  This law shall apply throughout 
the national territory under federal jurisdiction."  The 
federal law includes internal and external trafficking as 
part of the law. 
 
¶11. (SBU) QUESTION B: What are the prescribed penalties for 
trafficking people for sexual exploitation?  What penalties 
were imposed for persons convicted of sexual exploitation 
over the reporting period?  Please note the number of 
convicted sex traffickers who received suspended sentences 
and the number who received only a fine as punishment. 
 
POST RESPONSE: The prescribed penalties include: imprisonment 
from 6-12 years and 500-1500 "fine days" (approximately 
$2,434 USD-$78,885 USD) (days in which a prescribed 
percentage of income must be paid); imprisonment of 9-18 
years and 750-2250 "fine days" (approximately $3,651 
USD-$10,954USD), if the offense is committed against a person 
under the age of 18 or against a person who does not have the 
capacity to understand the meaning of the act or the capacity 
to resist.  According to Article 6 of the law, "The penalty 
will increase by half when, "The perpetrator avails himself 
of a public office that he may hold or may have pretended to 
hold without actually being a public servant.  When the 
perpetrator is a public servant, he shall be stripped of his 
public position, office or commission and be prohibited from 
performing any other for up to a period of time equal to the 
term of imprisonment imposed; the same penalty shall apply 
when the victim is a person over 60 years of age or is an 
indigenous person." 
 
Article 6 section (b) states: "When the criminal participant 
in the offense is related to the victim by blood, affinity or 
common law, or lives in the same residence as the victim, 
even though there may be no kinship or is the guardian or 
caretaker of the victim; such person may (depending on the 
 
MEXICO 00000721  006 OF 011 
 
 
circumstances) lose his parental authority, the maintenance 
right to which he is entitled by virtue of his relationship 
to the victim, and any right he may hold with respect to 
victim's assets." 
 
To date, no one has been charged, convicted or fined under 
the new federal law. 
 
¶12. (SBU) QUESTION C:  Punishment of Labor Trafficking 
Offenses:  What are the prescribed and imposed penalties for 
trafficking for labor exploitation, such as forced or bonded 
labor and involuntary servitude?  Do the government's laws 
provide for criminal punishment-i.e. jail time - for labor 
recruiters in labor source countries who engage in 
recruitment of laborers using knowingly fraudulent or 
deceptive offers that result in workers being trafficked in 
the destination country?  Are there laws in destination 
countries punishing employers or labor agents in labor 
destination countries punishing employers or labor agents in 
labor destination countries who confiscate workers' passports 
or travel documents, switch contracts without the worker's 
consent as a means to keep the worker in a state of service, 
or withhold payment of salaries as means of keeping the 
worker in a state of service?  If law(s) prescribe criminal 
punishments for these offenses, what are the actual 
punishments imposed on persons convicted labor traffickers 
who received suspended sentences and the number who received 
only a fine as punishment. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  On November 27, 2007, Mexico passed its 
federal anti-trafficking law, however, the law does not 
specifically address labor trafficking and the punishment for 
labor trafficking/exploitation.  As such, the law does not 
identify labor trafficking as a crime under the federal law 
and does not establish penalties for labor recruiters. 
 
¶13. (SBU) QUESTION D: What are the prescribed penalties for 
rape or forcible sexual assault?  How do they compare to the 
prescribed penalties for crimes of trafficking for commercial 
sexual exploitation? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Each of Mexico's 31 states and Mexico City 
has their own penal codes and the penalties vary.  In Mexico 
City, the penalty for rape of a child less than twelve years 
old is punishable by two to five years imprisonment; another 
50 percent of the sentence is added if violence was used. 
When the victim is between 12 and 18 years old, rape is 
punishable by three months to four years in prison.  The 
penalty for rape of an adult woman is six months to four 
years; if violence is used in the process, an additional 50 
percent of the sentence may be added to it.  Use of force in 
a rape against a member of either sex is punishable by eight 
to 14 years in prison. 
 
According to federal law, child prostitution and any practice 
that affects a child's psychological development is a felony 
under Mexican law.  The Federal Penal Code and the Penal 
Proceedings Code cover crimes involving children or 
adolescents in pornography, prostitution of minors, and 
corruption of minors or mentally disabled persons.  Specific 
penalties for perpetrators vary depending on the seriousness 
of the crime. 
 
¶14. (SBU) QUESTION E:  Is prostitution legalized or 
decriminalized?  Specifically, are the activities of the 
prostitute criminalized?  Are the activities of the brothel 
owner/operator, clients, pimps, and enforcers criminalized? 
Are these laws enforced?  If prostitution is legal and 
regulated, what is the legal minimum age for this activity? 
Note that in many countries with federalist systems, 
prostitution laws may be under state or local jurisdiction 
and may differ among jurisdictions. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Prostitution is legal for adults 18 years of 
age and older in Mexico.  The existing laws that do not 
pertain to prostitution focus on threats to public health, 
moral corruption and pimping.  The Mexican criminal code 
contains penalties for corruption of minors; for induced or 
forced prostitution and maintaining brothels; for employment 
of minors in bars and other centers; and for the procurement, 
inducement or concealment of prostitution.  Obvious 
prostitution is subject to a penalty of six months to five 
years in prison.  Although pimping is a crime in Mexico, both 
pimping and prostitution are practiced widely and generally 
without arrest or prosecution. 
 
¶15. (SBU) QUESTION F: Has the government prosecuted any cases 
against human trafficking offenders?  If so, provide numbers 
of investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences 
 
MEXICO 00000721  007 OF 011 
 
 
served, including details on plea bargains and fines, if 
relevant and available.  Please indicate which laws were used 
to investigate, prosecute, convict, and sentence traffickers. 
 Also, if possible, please disaggregate by type of TIP (labor 
vs. commercial sexual exploitation) and victims (children, as 
defined by U.S. and international law as under 18 years of 
age, vs. adults).  Does the government in a labor source 
country criminally prosecute labor recruiters who recruit 
laborers using knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers or 
impose on recruited laborers inappropriately high or illegal 
fees or commissions that create a debt bondage condition for 
the laborer?  Does the government in a labor destination 
country criminally prosecute employers or labor agents who 
confiscate workers' passports/travel documents, switch 
contracts or terms of employment without the worker's 
consent, use physical or sexual abuse or the threat of such 
abuse to keep workers in a state of service, or withhold 
payment of salaries as a means to keep workers in a state of 
service?  Are the traffickers serving the time sentenced?  If 
not, why not?  Please indicate whether the government can 
provide this information, and if not, why not? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  GOM has participated in several 
investigations in coordination with ICE during the reporting 
period. 
 
-- On July 16, 2007 agents from Mexico's Federal 
Investigation Agency (AFI) arrested Ignacio Antonio Santoyo 
Cervantes a.k.a. "Sony" pursuant to a federal arrest warrant 
in connection to the Divas trafficking organization.  He had 
been indicted on May 30, 2007 on multiple charges, including 
money laundering, facilitating prostitution and human 
trafficking. 
 
-- On July 14, 2007, Walter Alonso-Garza and Jose Luis Castro 
were arrested for forced prostitution and human trafficking. 
Eight women were rescued, four of whom were 17-years of age 
and four others younger. 
 
-- On August 7, 2007, Alfonso Perez Suarez and Jorge Luis 
Fonte-Ruiz (Mexican nationals) were arrested in Tlaxcala, 
Mexico on suspicion of trafficking three young girls from 
Chiapas and holding them against their will in an apartment 
in Tlaxcala.  Two of the girls escaped and informed local 
authorities. 
 
Post will continue to update G/TIP on additional cases. 
 
 ¶16. (SBU) QUESTION G:  Does the government provide any 
specialized training for government officials in how to 
recognize, investigate, and prosecute instances of 
trafficking?  Specify whether NGOs, international 
organizations, and/or the USG provide specialized training 
for host government officials. 
 
 
POST RESPONSE: National Migration Institute (INM) is in the 
process of developing (with the support from civil society 
organizations and inter-governmental agencies with experience 
on trafficking in persons) specific procedures and accurate 
guides to identify and provide attention to victims in four 
areas: minors detected by INM; minors in custody from other 
authorities; adults who present themselves voluntarily; 
adults detected by migration officials. 
 
Coordination of Control and Migration Verification at INM has 
developed an annual program of supervision for all the 
regional delegations for the purpose of verifying businesses 
who hire foreigners. 
 
 
Training 
 
-- July 30-August 3, 2007 PGR in coordination with the U.S. 
Embassy trained 13 public officials of the Central Sector of 
INM and also Regional Delegations on interviewing victims and 
witnesses of TIP and identifying false documents. 
 
-- October 16-25, 2007, PGR in coordination with the U.S. 
Embassy provided a training course for 150 public officials 
from INM, including 15 representatives from Central American 
Consulates on victim identification and how to deal with 
psychological situations. 
 
-- October 2007-present INM says that they have replicated 
these courses in all of the federal entities, have increased 
the number of people trained to 365 officials including 
migration officials and 240 officials from other government 
agencies. 
 
MEXICO 00000721  008 OF 011 
 
 
 
-- December 20-21, 2007- INM gave a course to migration 
officials and Grupos Betas in Tapachula, Chiapas. 
 
-- ICE/USAID and Proteja provided Global Trafficking in 
Persons training to Chihuahua State and GOM officials in 
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and general investigative techniques 
related to TIP investigations.  50 Chihuahua State government 
officials were trained along with three prosecutors from PGR 
in Ciudad Juarez. 
 
-- June 4-6, 2007- ICE Attach? Mexico City organized a 
24-hour technical training in electronic surveillance for 
approximately 40 Mexican government officials, including 
investigators and technical officers from SSP and CENAPI. 
The course was designed to provide familiarization and 
specialized user information for those officials assigned to 
undercover and technical support operations. 
 
-- July 30-August 3, 2007- ICE agents provided training to 
Mexican federal officers to include: CENAPI, INM, PGR and AFI 
agents, FEVIMTRA (formerly known as FEVIM), SSP and local 
police officials (Ministerial Publicos) assigned to SIEDO. 
This was the first G/TIP course assigned to federal law 
enforcement in Mexico.  The course covered victim 
identification, victim/witness coordination, case 
development, source development and interviewing techniques. 
ICE agents also promoted a task force approach to trafficking 
investigations. 
 
-- NGOs and international organizations also provided 
training to authorities during the reporting period. 
Coalition Against Trafficking of Women and Children of Latin 
America and the Caribbean (CATW) provided legal training to 
police officials. 
 
-- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
provided training on detection and attention to victims 
during the reporting period. 
 
 
¶17. (SBU) QUESTION H:  Does the government cooperate with 
other governments in the investigation and prosecution of 
trafficking cases?  If possible, can post provide the number 
of cooperative international investigations on trafficking 
during the reporting period? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  The GOM cooperates with other governments in 
the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases. 
Mexican law enforcement officials continue to work closely 
with DHS-ICE on numerous trafficking investigations in Mexico 
and the U.S., including cross border trafficking cases. 
 
Mexico's collaboration with Central American governments: 
 
-- On March 23, 2004 Mexico and Guatemala signed a Memorandum 
of Understanding for the Protection of Women and Minor 
victims of Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons on the 
Mexico-Guatemala Border.  This MOU created a commission 
between both governments to address the issue.  Members 
include: SRE, PGR, INM and their counterparts in Guatemala. 
On July 10, 2007, the group met to discuss an Action Plan for 
2007-2008. 
 
-- On May 17, 2005, Mexico and El Salvador signed a 
Memorandum of Understanding for the Protection of Persons 
Especially Women and Minor victims of illegal trafficking and 
Smuggling between Mexico and El Salvador. 
 
The GOM also continues to work with the Government of 
Argentina on the DIVAS case which has links to Argentina. 
The leader of the organization was arrested on July 16, 2007. 
 
 
¶18. (SBU) QUESTION I: Does the government extradite persons 
who are charged with trafficking in other countries?  If so, 
can post provide the number of traffickers extradited during 
the reporting period?  Does the government extradite its own 
nationals charged with such offenses?  If not, is the 
government prohibited by law from extraditing its own 
nationals?  If so, what is the government doing to modify its 
laws to permit the extradition of its own nationals? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  As reported in the 2007 TIP Report, in 
January 2007, Mexican national Carreto Valencia received a 
sentence of 25 years and six months in Mexico on 
trafficking-related charges; the GOM subsequently extradited 
her to the United States (January 19 2007) to face charges of 
trafficking, among other crimes.  Mexico became the first 
 
MEXICO 00000721  009 OF 011 
 
 
country to extradite a defendant in a trafficking case when 
they extradited Consuelo Carreto Valencia.  Post will 
continue to update G/TIP of any other extraditions. 
 
¶19. (SBU) QUESTION J: Is there evidence of government 
involvement in or tolerance of trafficking, on a local or 
institutional level?  If so, please explain in detail. 
 
POST RESPONSE: There have been allegations that some law 
enforcement and migration officials- especially at the local 
level have been involved in trafficking to the extent they 
have been known to accept bribes to facilitate or ignore 
alien smuggling or to allow brothels and child prostitution 
to exist unmolested.  On August 16, 2007, two INM officials, 
Oscar Manuel Navarete Orozco and Maria America Maldonado 
Alfaro were arrested and accused by PGR of leading an 
organized criminal group that trafficked persons, including 
undocumented workers. 
 
¶20. (SBU) QUESTION K: If government officials are involved in 
trafficking, what steps has the government taken to end such 
participation?  Please indicate the number of government 
officials investigated and prosecuted for involvement in 
trafficking or trafficking-related corruption during the 
reporting period.  Have any been convicted?  What sentence(s) 
was imposed?  Please specify if officials received suspended 
sentences, were given a fine, fired, or reassigned to another 
position within the government as punishment.  Please provide 
specific numbers, if available.  Please indicate the number 
of convicted officials that received suspended sentences or 
received only a fine as punishment. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  If government officials are involved in 
trafficking, the GOM added penalties in the new federal law 
to address officials involved in trafficking.  Article 6 (a) 
states: "The penalties set forth in paragraphs 1 and 2 of 
this Article shall be increased by up to one-half when: 
(a) The perpetrator avails himself of a public office that he 
may hold or may have pretended to hold without actually being 
a public servant.  When the perpetrator is a public servant, 
he shall be stripped of his public position, office, or 
commission and be prohibited from performing any other for up 
to a period of time equal to the term of imprisonment 
imposed; the same penalty shall apply when the victim is a 
person over 60 years of age or is an indigenous person." 
(Please see question 19 on officials involved in 2007). 
 
¶21. (SBU) QUESTION L:  As part of the new requirements of the 
2005 TVPRA, for countries that contribute troops to 
international peacekeeping efforts, please indicate whether 
the government vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted 
and sentence nationals of the country deployed abroad as part 
of a peacekeeping or other similar mission who engage in or 
facilitate severe forms of trafficking or who exploit victims 
of such trafficking. 
 
POST RESPONSE: Non Applicable 
 
¶22. (SBU) QUESTION M:  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) for traveling to other 
countries to engage in child sex tourism? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Mexico is a country with an identified child 
sex tourism problem.  Mexico is a destination for sexual 
tourists and pedophiles, particularly from the United States. 
 There are no specific laws against sex tourism, although 
federal law criminalizes corruption of minors, which is 
punishable by five to 10 years' imprisonment. 
 
Two cases from INM: 
 
INM reported a case in Jalisco where Daniel Bricio Villa was 
arrested for having sexual intercourse with two minors in 
exchange for money and gifts.  Another case in Morelia, 
authorities arrested Pablo Pedro Carlos Armand Paul, a 
pedophile who would lure minors into a hotel room to have 
sexual intercourse and also make pornography to publish and 
sell it on the internet. 
 
The names and details of ongoing investigations are not/not 
for public disclosure.  End note. 
 
 
MEXICO 00000721  010 OF 011 
 
 
This information was received from USG ICE attach? in Ciudad 
Juarez. 
 
-- On January 10, 2008, U.S. Citizen, John D. Armstrong gave 
a guilty plea in a federal court on sex tourism charges. 
Armstrong faces 110 months in prison for corruption of a 
minor.  At the time of the arrest, 51-year old Armstrong was 
found nude with a 16-year old girl.  Armstrong claimed to be 
a German Citizen but after the investigation it was 
determined that he is a U.S. Citizen and is a registered sex 
offender in the state of Arizona. 
 
-- On January 30, 2008, U.S. Citizen, James C. Shea was 
sentenced by a Chihuahua Tribunal to nine years in prison for 
two counts of rape of a minor.  Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez 
Hernandez was sentenced to 11 years in prison under the 
Chihuahua State human Trafficking Law.  Shea is a physician's 
assistant practicing in El Paso, Texas was arrested on 
February 25, 2007 by the Ciudad Juarez municipal police for 
having sex with a 10 year old boy.  The investigation 
revealed that Shea used Gonzalez to lure school-aged boys to 
have sex with Shea. 
 
-- U.S. Citizen arrested in Mexico for performing oral sex 
with minors: On March 15, 2007 -U.S. Citizen, Ismael Acevedo 
Muniz was arrested for corruption of minors in Ciudad Juarez 
after he was stopped by police with five minors from the ages 
of 14-16 in the car.  The investigation revealed that Muniz 
would pay the minors to engage in oral sex.  Muniz was later 
released because the minors consented to the acts. 
 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS: 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶23. (SBU) QUESTION A: Does the government assist foreign 
trafficking victims, for example, by providing temporary to 
permanent residency status, or other relief from deportation? 
 If so, please explain. 
 
POST RESPONSE: The GOM does provide assistance to foreign 
trafficking victims.  Law enforcement and migration officials 
do encourage victims to cooperate with investigations; 
however, victims rarely identify themselves as victims of 
trafficking and often times migrants who are exploited 
through their employers are afraid to tell authorities for 
fear deportation. 
 
Since 2005, the INM has identified 22 victims of trafficking 
from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Argentina, Slovakia and Ecuador. 
Of the 22, (81%) of the 22 were victims of sexual 
exploitation and (19%) victims of labor exploitation.  Five 
of these were foreigners and were authorized humanitarian 
visas in order for them to provide information to prosecute 
traffickers and regularize their status within Mexico.  The 
remaining voluntarily returned to their countries with the 
support from various consulates and international 
organizations. Since the beginning of 2008, INM has 
identified one trafficking victim from Ecuador. 
 
 
¶24. (SBU) QUESTION B: Does the country have victim care 
facilities which are accessible to trafficking victims?  Do 
foreign victims have the same access to care as domestic 
trafficking victims?  Does the country have specialized 
facilities dedicated to helping victims of trafficking?  If 
so, can post provide the number of victims placed in these 
care facilities during the reporting period?  What is the 
funding source of these facilities?  Please estimate the 
amount the government spent (in U.S. dollar equivalent) on 
these specialized facilities dedicated to helping trafficking 
victims during the reporting period.  Does the government 
provide trafficking victims with access to legal, medical and 
psychological services?  If so, please specify the kind of 
assistance provided, and the number of victims assisted, if 
available. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Both the Mexican federal government and some 
states have crime victim 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 shelters may serve victims of 
trafficking, but 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. 
 
In 2007, the INM authorized the issuance of nine humanitarian 
 
MEXICO 00000721  011 OF 011 
 
 
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. 
 
The INM has a detention center in Tapachula, Chiapas and in 
45 other places throughout the country in order 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 
NGOs or DIF-run shelters. 
 
¶25. (SBU) QUESTION C:  Does the government provide funding or 
other forms of support to foreign or domestic NGOs and/or 
international organizations for services to trafficking 
victims?  Please explain and provide any funding amounts in 
U.S. dollar equivalent.  If assistance provided is in-kind, 
please specify exact assistance.  Please explain if funding 
for assistance comes from a federal budget or from regional 
or local governments. 
 
POST RESPONSE:  The federal and state governments provide 
funding and other forms of support to domestic NGOs for 
services to victims; however, the level of funding and 
support remains very limited. 
 
¶26. (SBU) QUESTION D: Do the government's law enforcement, 
immigration, and social services personnel have a formal 
system of proactively identifying victims of trafficking 
among high-risk persons with who they come in contact (e.g., 
foreign persons arrested for prostitution or immigration 
violations)?  What is the number of victims identified during 
the reporting period?  Has the government developed and 
implemented a referral process to transfer victims detained, 
arrested or placed in protective custody by law enforcement 
authorities to institutions that provide short or long-term 
care?  How many victims were referred for assistance by law 
enforcement authorities during the reporting period? 
 
POST RESPONSE:  Mexico's family welfare agency, Desarollo 
Integral de la Familia (DIF) continues to operate shelters 
for unaccompanied migrant children who are intercepted at the 
northern border.  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 children.  The INM has also referred several 
trafficking victims to NGOs or state-run shelters for 
assistance. 
 
INM refers trafficking victims to IOM.  During the reporting 
period, IOM reported rescued and provided assistance to 38 
trafficking victims. 
 
 
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American 
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / 
GARZA