Increasing Involvement of Cuban Women in Prostitution Networks During Transit Through Uruguay to the U.S.

The Uruguayan government raised concerns on Wednesday about the rising issue of sexual exploitation involving Cuban women who use the nation as a stopover on their journey to the United States. This warning was part of the first national report on human trafficking presented by the National Council for the Prevention and Combat of Trafficking and Exploitation of Persons.

The report, which covers the period from March 2025 to June 2026, highlights a significant trend of Cuban women utilizing Uruguay as a transit point on their way to the U.S. Out of 37 women assisted by the National Institute of Women's trafficking service (Inmujeres) in 2025, 5% were Cuban, 39% Dominican, and 42% Uruguayan. Over half of these women—63%—were linked to international trafficking networks, primarily for sexual exploitation purposes.

Challenges in Tracking Criminal Networks

The report emphasizes that criminal networks have adapted their recruitment strategies to digital platforms and messaging apps, complicating the identification of perpetrators and the collection of evidence. These organizations operate in a manner that makes it difficult to recognize the crime and report it, as there is often no physical location or identifiable individuals involved.

Emerging Recruitment Tactics

A notable increase in recruitment through social media and fake job offers has been observed, along with the use of cryptocurrencies to conceal illicit payments. Additionally, the report identifies surrogate motherhood as a new form of exploitation.

The profile of migrant victims differs from that of Uruguayan women. The document notes that foreign women, mostly with higher education levels, often recognize the deceit and exploitation they face, experiencing it with shame and secrecy.

Historical Context and Current Trends

The issue is not new. In 2018, the Civil Association El Paso reported that at least 20 Cuban women had been forced into prostitution in Uruguay, lured by false job promises and brought through Suriname or Guyana. In 2021, an operation involving Interpol dismantled a network using the route from Havana to Guyana, Brazil, and then Uruguay, arresting 34 people. Some migrants paid between $6,000 and $7,000 to continue their journey to the U.S.

A study by the International Organization for Migration on cases from 2018 to 2022 revealed that Cuban women made up 17.6% of the foreigners assisted for trafficking in Uruguay, with Cuba being the recruitment location in 15.8% of identified international trafficking cases.

Impact of Migration on Human Trafficking

The migration context exacerbates the problem. In 2025, Uruguay recorded a net migration of nearly 15,000 Cubans, almost triple that of 2024, and issued 13,852 identity documents for the first time to Cuban nationals, the highest among all foreign nationalities.

On the judicial front, Uruguayan courts charged 81 individuals in 2025 with trafficking or related offenses, resulting in 65 convictions for sexual exploitation and five for forced labor and enslavement.

The situation is further complicated by ongoing negotiations: the U.S. is in talks with Uruguay regarding the deportation of Cuban nationals, adding a political layer to the already complex Cuban migration landscape in the region.