State-Level Human Trafficking and Kidnapping Investigations in Mexico

Author: Juárez, Alessa & Miller, Sadie

Abstract: Existing literature related to Mexico’s anti-trafficking legislation is scant. This paper offers a descriptive presentation of state-level human trafficking investigations and an interrupted time-series analysis of monthly, state-initiated kidnapping investigations in Chiapas, Mexico City, and Puebla. The enactment of Mexico’s current anti-trafficking law, referred to as Ley General, serves as the interruption point. The results showed that Ley General did not have a statistically significant impact on kidnapping investigations, and the number of human trafficking investigations in these areas remains low. A discussion of the results and recommendations for improving Mexico’s response to human trafficking and its legislation is provided.

Keywords: human trafficking legislation, legal impact, Mexico, state investigations, kidnapping, trafficking in persons