800+ Women Rescued From Trafficking in Quintana Roo

Cancún, MX — Over the past two years, authorities in Quintana Roo have freed more than 800 women who were victims of human trafficking, a crime that keeps the state in first place nationally, accounting for 33.5 percent of the total cases registered in the country.

The state's Attorney General, Raciel López Salazar, reported that operations implemented since July 2023 have led to the rescue of 844 victims, including 102 minors, as well as Mexican and foreign women who were exploited through various forms of coercion.

The investigations have resulted in the detention of 98 individuals allegedly linked to networks dedicated to sexual exploitation. All detainees are facing judicial processes and remain under preventative prison.

The Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Human Trafficking has conducted 139 raids on bars, nightclubs, and residences used as call houses, where criminal groups were detected recruiting women with false job offers or promises of economic support.

Of the rescued victims, 648 are of Mexican nationality and 196 are foreign, originating from countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Brazil, Argentina, Guatemala, Cuba, Honduras, Italy, Norway, Ukraine, and Russia.

To date, 24 people have been sentenced for their direct participation in this crime and are serving sentences in the state penitentiary centers of Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Chetumal, and Cozumel.

So far this year alone, the Prosecutor's Office has received 129 complaints for human trafficking, with an average of between 10 and 16 investigation case files per month. Authorities highlighted that the increase in complaints reflects greater citizen confidence and closer coordination between agencies.

However, they underscored that eradicating human trafficking remains one of the most serious challenges in Quintana Roo.