21 Women, Including Minors, Rescued from Sex Trafficking in Mexican Tourist Hotspot

Two bar raids in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo resulted in the rescue of 21 human trafficking victims forced into prostitution. All of the victims were women, most of them Mexican nationals, with the exception of two Guatemalan nationals and one from Belize. According to reports from multiple Mexican news outlets, some of the victims were minors.

The first raid happened in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco and led to the rescue of 13 women. The second happened in Bacalar–a popular tourist destination–and resulted in the rescue of eight additional victims.

According to official reports obtained by N+, the women were forced to serve drinks to bar customers. If a customer bought a drink, they were then told to offer sexual services for an extra 4,000 to 8,000 pesos (about $197 to $394). Authorities said the price depended on the victim's nationality.

A multi-agency investigation previous to the raids led state authorities to request search warrants for both bars. During the raids, agents seized narcotic substances, condoms, and digital storage devices. Authorities also recovered passports and documents belonging to the foreign victims, who were unable to leave the country without them.

The bars have been temporarily "secured" and are now "under custody" of the state of Quintana Roo. The rescued women were taken to the State Attorney General's Office to give their statements, while the evidence was handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office to be included in the investigation.