U.S. Dep't of State, 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report: Guatemala

GUATEMALA (Tier 2) The Government of Guatemala does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period; therefore, Guatemala remained on Tier 2. These efforts included identifying and referring more victims to protection services, increasing trafficking investigations, opening a new specialized shelter for trafficking victims, and enacting amendments to a law to prevent the sex trafficking of children within the prison system. The government also implemented the Return Home Plan, intending to reduce the likelihood of Guatemalans re-engaging in illegal immigration to the United States and related vulnerabilities to trafficking.

However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. There was a decrease in prosecutions and convictions, and there were insufficient victim services outside the capital, including for adult male trafficking victims. The government did not convict any officials for complicity in trafficking crimes. PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS: Vigorously investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes and seek adequate penalties, which should involve significant prison terms, for convicted traffickers, including complicit officials.

Increase efforts to proactively identify trafficking victims, particularly among vulnerable populations. Expand access to services in rural areas, including for male adult victims. To prevent forced labor among Cuban workers in Guatemala, hire any Cuban workers directly and utilize hiring practices that are in line with domestic and international law, and provide adequate protection to Cuban victims of human trafficking. Train officials on the use of established protocols for the proactive identification of trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, and for their use during law enforcement operations and labor inspections.

Streamline the victim referral process and access to shelter for child and adult victims, including foreign victims. Ensure the law criminalizing adult trafficking includes the use of force, fraud, or coercion as an essential element. Develop a mechanism to ensure victims receive court-ordered restitution payments, ideally during the same hearing to avoid additional time and expense. Ensure that all identified victims are aware of the witness protection program that is available for trafficking victims.

Strengthen reintegration support for returned or deported Guatemalans to discourage re-engagement in illegal immigration, including into the United States, and expand efforts to raise awareness on all forms of human trafficking, including the risks of human trafficking when seeking the services of smugglers.

PROSECUTION

The government maintained law enforcement efforts. The anti-trafficking law of 2009 criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking and prescribed penalties from eight to 18 years’ imprisonment and a fine. These penalties were sufficiently stringent and, with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. However, the law did not consider the use of force, fraud, or coercion as an essential element of an adult trafficking offense.

The law defined trafficking broadly to include all labor exploitation and illegal adoption without the purpose of exploitation. Authorities reported initiating 765 case investigations (543 for sex trafficking, 150 for forced labor, and 72 for unspecified trafficking), compared with 452 cases investigated (345 for sex trafficking, 59 for labor trafficking, and 48 for unspecified trafficking) in 2023. The government reported continuing 88 investigations from previous years (30 for sex trafficking, 34 for forced labor, and 24 for unspecified trafficking). Authorities reported initiating prosecution of 63 suspects (35 for sex trafficking, 20 for forced labor, and eight for unspecified trafficking), compared with prosecution of 200 suspects in 113 cases (36 for sex trafficking, 17 for labor trafficking, and 60 for unspecified trafficking) in 2023.

The government reported continuing prosecutions of 98 suspects from previous years (55 for sex trafficking, 36 for forced labor, and seven for unspecified trafficking), compared with not reporting ongoing prosecutions in 2023. All new and ongoing prosecutions were under the anti-trafficking law. Courts convicted 36 traffickers (31 for sex trafficking and five for forced labor) under the anti-trafficking law, compared with 44 traffickers in 2023 and 75 traffickers in 2022. The government did not provide sentencing data.

Observers reported the government prosecuted sex trafficking cases criminally; however, it often handled forced labor cases administratively, as offenses under the labor law. Authorities collaborated with a foreign government during an ongoing investigation into potential trafficking indicators in a religious sect’s operations and arrested a high-level official for allegedly leaking information on prior attempted raids, as well as four members, including its leader. The National Civil Police maintained a specialized unit dedicated to investigating trafficking crimes, with a central office in Guatemala City and an office in Quetzaltenango, with jurisdiction to investigate trafficking crimes across six departments in western Guatemala. The government had a specialized anti-trafficking prosecution unit, with offices in Guatemala City, the western region, and the northeast region; specialized prosecutors in the capital handled trafficking cases from areas not covered by the regional offices.

The government did not fulfill its plan to open an additional prosecution unit office in Petén. The lack of anti-trafficking training for judges, police, and border officials, including in screening protocols; and the constant rotation of officers hindered law enforcement and prosecutors’ ability to investigate and prosecute traffickers. Government officials and NGOs reported most anti-trafficking institutions and authorities were located in departmental capitals, and some had regional jurisdictions covering several departments, which hindered their ability to identify and investigate cases, particularly in areas outside of cities. Officials often prosecuted alleged traffickers under different criminal provisions that carried lesser penalties. The government reported that the human rights ombudsman office had a section for human trafficking.

The government operated four first instance criminal courts and criminal sentencing courts in Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango, Izabal, Petén, and Huehuetenango, which had jurisdiction over the prosecution of trafficking and related crimes in 18 of Guatemala’s 22 departments. A judge’s approval was required to initiate prosecutorial investigations. Judicial officials did not always apply a victim-centered approach. Observers noted delays in investigations.

In 2024, the government reported training first responders, including labor inspectors, on identification of human trafficking cases, at times in partnership with international organizations (IOs). The government collaborated with civil society to develop anti-trafficking trainings for officials nationwide, including a virtual course. Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained a significant concern. Observers reported police and border officials across the country routinely extorted migrants for money and some officials coerced migrants and asylum-seekers into sexual exploitation, exacerbating their vulnerabilities to trafficking and deterring them from reporting crime.

Some law enforcement facilitated trafficking crimes and perpetuated impunity by accepting bribes, working with criminal organizations, and/or inhibiting law enforcement action. In 2024, authorities arrested and charged 11 prison guards for the sex trafficking of women prisoners and girls from juvenile detention centers in the departments of Suchitepéquez, El Progreso, Baja Verapaz, Quetzaltenango, and Guatemala. The guards allegedly exploited these women and girls in sex trafficking inside men’s prisons. In January 2025, authorities arrested seven law enforcement officers for crimes related to human trafficking.

The government did not provide updates on a trial that began in 2022 of a municipal mayor arrested for alleged involvement in the sex trafficking of a kidnapped 13 year-old girl. The government has previously imposed sentences for cases involving complicit officials that were inadequate compared to the seriousness of the offense and insufficient to deter corruption. In March 2025, the government enacted amendments to the law to Prevent and Sanction the Trafficking of Minors in the Penitentiary System to penalize individuals that facilitate the access of underage persons into prisons for the purpose of sex trafficking with eight to 18 years in prison and fines. The amendments also established mandatory registration and monitoring for underage prison visitors and exclusive areas with mandatory supervision for these visits.

PROTECTION

The government slightly increased efforts to protect victims. The government reported identifying 756 victims, including 152 sex trafficking victims (one woman, 25 boys, 125 girls, and one individual who the government described as non-binary), 470 forced labor victims (10 women, 231 boys, and 229 girls), and 134 victims of unspecified forms of trafficking, including five girls, compared with 611 victims reported in 2023, which included 104 adults and 507 children. The government reported identifying five foreign trafficking victims in Guatemala and one Guatemalan victim abroad. Some victims counted in these statistics may have been victims of crimes that did not constitute trafficking under international law.

The government referred 603 victims to protection services, including 150 sex trafficking victims (25 boys and 125 girls), 448 victims of forced labor (223 boys and 225 girls), and five victims of unspecified trafficking (five girls), compared with 188 victims in 2023 (24 adults and 164 children; 156 were women and girls and 32 were men and boys). The government reported providing services to 124 trafficking victims, including 83 sex trafficking victims (three women, 79 girls, and one individual who the government described as nonbinary), 36 forced labor victims (10 women, eight boys, and 18 girls), and five victims of unspecified forms of trafficking (five girls), compared with 225 victims in 2023, which included 13 adults and 212 children (198 women and girls and 27 men and boys). The government often relied on civil society for victim protection services. The government reported identifying child victims of forced criminality exploited by organized criminal groups, including seven child victims during the first half of 2024.

The Public Ministry (MP), the Solicitor General’s Office (PGN), and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MINTRAB) carried out joint operations throughout 2024 in worksites with forced labor indicators that resulted in the identification of child victims. Observers reported victims from rural areas were less likely to be identified and assisted due to lack of access by first responders and with most victim services concentrated in Guatemala City. Civil society provided services to 100 victims, including 77 sex trafficking victims (one man, 23 women, six boys, 46 girls, and one individual who the government described as non-binary), and 23 forced labor victims (three men, two women, 13 boys, and five girls). The Secretariat of Social Welfare (SBS) operated two shelters for child victims of crime, including trafficking, and the Secretariat Against Sexual Violence, Exploitation, and Trafficking in Persons (SVET) operated one shelter for women victims of sexual violence that could also assist victims of trafficking and their children under the age of 13, with the capacity to assist 30 victims at a time.

NGOs operated other shelters that could provide services to trafficking victims. The government and NGOs could provide shelter, basic necessities, psychological and medical care, vocational training, legal services, and repatriation. In 2024, SBS opened a specialized shelter for child trafficking victims outside of the capital. The government reported allocating an unknown amount of funding for the SBS shelters, compared with 2.71 million quetzals ($346,770) in 2023.

The government reported allocating 1.53 million quetzals ($198,603) to fund the SVET shelter. Observers reported that prior to receiving services and access to shelters, child victims were required to have approval from courts, and foreign victims were required to have identification documents, which were processed in coordination with embassies; these requirements were often delayed and affected access to services. The government reported coordinating with civil society on providing shelter and repatriation to victims. Experts reported a severe lack of victim services in rural areas and no shelter or services for adult men.

Authorities across government institutions used a protocol to identify, refer, and provide services to trafficking victims; however, observers reported many officials were not familiar with the protocol and implemented it inconsistently. The government screened returning or deported unaccompanied Guatemalan children for trafficking indicators using SBS protocols for the attention and reception of such children. However, observers reported that due to inconsistent screening of trafficking indicators by immigration authorities, the government did not take effective measures to prevent the inappropriate penalization of potential victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Authorities did not make efforts to screen vulnerable foreign workers in the country for trafficking indicators, including Cuban regime-affiliated workers.

The government permitted victims to provide video testimony in a Gesell Chamber, through real-time videoconference hearings, or prior to trial. Observers reported some of the spaces used for victim in-person testimony were unsafe due to possible contact with traffickers. Observers reported there was a witness protection program available for use by trafficking victims. The MP employed social workers and psychologists to serve as liaisons for victims, accompany victims through legal proceedings, and assist victims in accessing services.

The law required judges to order restitution when sentencing traffickers, but the government did not have a mechanism to ensure victims received court-ordered payments and did not report any victims who received restitution. The law required the SVET to develop a restitution fund for victims; however, the fund had not been created. Guatemala’s anti-trafficking law provided legal alternatives to the removal of foreign victims who may face hardship or retribution upon return to their home countries.

PREVENTION

The government increased prevention efforts. As the secretariat for the Interinstitutional Commission Against Trafficking in Persons (CIT), comprised of government institutions, NGOs, and IOs, SVET coordinated national anti-trafficking efforts. The government reported that CIT met several times in 2024. The government continued to implement the 2023-2024 NAP on Sexual Violence, Exploitation, and Trafficking in Persons and allocated 3.7 million quetzales ($480,145) for its implementation and the Mobile Units for the Prevention of such crimes, compared with 3.6 million quetzals ($461,930) in 2023.

CIT agencies also funded anti-trafficking activities from their general budgets. The government initiated a study, in collaboration with an IO, on human trafficking and the disappearance of migrant children along migrant smuggling routes. Five departments had local anti-trafficking coordinating bodies comprised of government and civil society. The government continued to conduct awareness raising activities, including via digital platforms, often in partnership with civil society.

SVET allocated 1.2 million quetzals ($157,982) for awareness raising material on sexual violence, exploitation, and trafficking. However, SVET officials lacked the authority to receive complaints or refer potential victims to services. SVET continued an awareness campaign to prevent trafficking among returning migrants and persons transiting Guatemala. The government did not have a trafficking-specific hotline but operated several platforms for reporting crimes, including human trafficking, over the phone or online.

The government maintained a web portal to report child labor complaints. The Labor Code allows for unannounced inspections; however, observers reported some inspectors were denied access to worksites and complicit officials informed some businesses about inspections in exchange for bribes. In 2024, MINTRAB increased the use of mobile inspection teams to conduct inspections outside their home departments where they were less likely to have relationships with business owners and reduce official complicity. The labor inspectorate reported conducting inspections in formal and informal sectors with risks to child forced labor.

Labor inspectors often did not pursue cases in areas with high levels of crime due to fears of retaliation from organized criminal groups. The labor inspectorate had a budget of 46,323,650 quetzals ($6 million). A MINTRAB policy prohibited employers or recruiters from charging workers recruitment fees but did not prescribe penalties for violating the policy. The law required private recruiters to register and receive permission to operate, but oversight and enforcement was inadequate and underfunded.

For the reintegration of deported Guatemalans, the government implemented the Return Home Plan, which included job placement assistance and is intended to reduce the likelihood of re-engaging in illegal immigration. The government continued implementing a media campaign to raise public awareness on preventing extraterritorial commercial child sexual exploitation and abuse by tourists visiting Guatemala. The government participated in a program with authorities in the United States to limit entry into Guatemala of sex offenders convicted in the United States. In 2024, authorities denied 16 sex offenders entry into Guatemala through this program.

TRAFFICKING PROFILE: Trafficking affects all communities. This section summarizes government and civil society reporting on the nature and scope of trafficking over the past five years. Human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Guatemala, and traffickers exploit victims from Guatemala abroad. Traffickers exploit Guatemalan adults and children in sex trafficking within the country and in Mexico, the United States, Belize, and other countries.

Traffickers exploit Guatemalan adults and children in forced labor within the country and abroad, often in the garment industry, agriculture, or domestic service. Guatemalan children are vulnerable to forced labor in factories in the United States. Traffickers recruit victims through social media, messaging applications, fraudulent employment advertising, chatrooms, and video games. Experts identified the coffee, broccoli, sugar, stone quarry, fishing, firework manufacturing, construction, and service sectors as at risk for the potential use of child labor.

Children are exploited in street begging, performing, and informal vending. Child victims’ families are often complicit in their exploitation. Some women and girls in forced marriages are subjected to domestic servitude. Traffickers exploit women and children from other Latin American countries and the United States in sex trafficking in Guatemala.

Local experts report online sexual exploitation of children occurs in which traffickers sexually exploit children in live internet broadcasts in exchange for compensation. Observers reported sex trafficking in nightclubs where traffickers retain victims’ passports. Children may have been exploited in sex trafficking inside the compound of a religious sect in the department of Santa Rosa currently under investigation. Criminal organizations exploit girls in sex trafficking and coerce and threaten boys and men in urban areas to sell or transport drugs, participate in extortion, or commit murder.

Traffickers exploit illegal aliens, migrants, and asylum-seekers, who are often fearful to report abuses, transiting Guatemala en route to Mexico or the United States, including those seeking to enter the United States illegally, in sex trafficking or forced labor within the country or upon arrival at their destination. Individuals who rely on migrant smugglers are at particularly high risk of exploitation as they often assume debts to pay smugglers. Authorities have investigated police, military, and elected officials for paying children for sex acts, facilitating child sex trafficking, accepting bribes from traffickers, or protecting venues where trafficking occurs. Government officials in the national banking system allegedly assisted traffickers in committing money laundering crimes.

There were approximately 440 Cuban regime-affiliated medical professionals across 16 departments who were forced to work by the Cuban regime. According to reporting, Cuban regime officials confiscated workers’ passports, subjected workers to curfews and surveillance, did not allow workers to freely associate with locals, and paid them a stipend that was 50 percent less than what local medical workers received for similar work. On This Page search > < GUATEMALA (Tier 2) PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS: PROSECUTION PROTECTION PREVENTION TRAFFICKING PROFILE: Tags Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Guatemala Human Trafficking Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Reports