There is no reliable statistic or percentage that quantifies the exact portion of sex trafficking in the United States that is controlled by drug cartels. The clandestine nature of human trafficking makes systematic data collection extremely difficult, meaning most cases go unreported and official statistics are often incomplete.
Experts
and government agencies note a significant nexus and overlap between
drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), including cartels, and human
trafficking, but they rarely have total control over the sex trafficking
operations within the U.S..
Nexus of Crime: DTOs and other transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) are heavily involved in human smuggling across the US-Mexico border. Vulnerable migrants are often trapped by these groups and forced into labor or commercial sex work to pay off debts.
Methods of Control: Traffickers, including those affiliated with cartels, frequently use drugs as a method of control, either as "bait" to recruit individuals with substance use disorders or to keep victims addicted and compliant.
Data Scarcity: Law enforcement agencies and policymakers consistently highlight a serious lack of systematic data collection regarding the full scope of human trafficking, which contributes to the uncertainty about the exact nature and prevalence of cartel involvement.
While
the involvement of cartels is a significant concern, especially in border
regions, human trafficking is also perpetrated by family-based clans,
individual actors, and smaller local gangs, making it difficult to attribute a
specific percentage of the overall problem to major drug cartels.
For
more information, resources are available from
The U.S.
Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report
The DEA's
resources on the link between human and drug trafficking
Homeland Security's
human trafficking quick facts
While
there is no single official percentage for sex trafficking controlled
specifically by drug cartels in 2025, government and NGO reports highlight a
strong nexus between drug trafficking organizations and human
exploitation.
Cartel Involvement and Exploitation
Targeting Vulnerable Migrants: An estimated 60% of unaccompanied Latin American children who cross the U.S. border are intercepted by cartels and exploited for sex trafficking, child pornography, or drug smuggling.
Interconnected Operations: Mexican organized crime groups often use the same smuggling routes for drugs and people. While they do not always maintain total control over domestic sex trafficking networks, they frequently supply victims to these networks or extort them.
Prevalence in Specific Groups: Roughly 70% of sex traffickers in certain identified cases are of Latin American descent, and approximately 29% of victims enter the U.S. through the southern border via human smuggling, which is heavily influenced by cartels.
Broader
U.S. Sex Trafficking Context (2025 Data)
Overall Case Volume: The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 11,999 cases in 2024, of which approximately 6,647 were specifically for sex trafficking.
Demographics
of Victims:
78% of
sex trafficking victims in the U.S. are women and girls.
92% of these victims are adults, and 8% are children.
Non-Cartel Traffickers: Analysis of 2021-2025 trends shows that the most frequent traffickers are often closer to the victim, including employers (43%), family members (26%), and intimate partners (22%).
Economic and Security Impact
Profitability: Human trafficking is the second most profitable criminal activity in the U.S., generating an estimated $32 billion annually. Global estimates for human trafficking profits in 2025 reached $236 billion.
Federal Action: In February 2025, the U.S. secured custody of 29 leaders from major cartels, including the Sinaloa and CJNG, who face charges for drug trafficking, racketeering, and other violent crimes linked to transnational exploitation.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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