Notes on a Perilous Journey to the United States: Irregular Migration, Trafficking in Persons, and Organized Crime

ABSTRACT This article examines the interplay between transnational criminal actors (essentially human smugglers), local crime groups, and drug cartels in phenomenon of trafficking persons coming from Central America along Mexico’s eastern migration routes. The analysis focuses on sex trafficking, compelled labor for activities, other forms trafficking. Through qualitative research that involved 336 semistructured interviews with migrants, activists, familiar subject, this work describes maps trends throughout It also sheds light role groups (local transnational) these activities.