Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela remain in Tier 3 in 2026 trafficking report

Report identifies 12 governments in state-involved forced labor patterns

The U.S. State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, released Thursday, again placed Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela in Tier 3, the lowest category reserved for governments that do not meet minimum U.S. standards for combating human trafficking and are not making significant efforts to do so.

Nicaragua has remained in Tier 3 since 2020. The State Department criticized the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo for continuing to downplay the severity of human trafficking and failing to take sufficient measures to prevent it or protect victims. According to the report, Nicaraguan authorities investigated seven trafficking cases in 2025, convicted six traffickers, and identified nine victims, all minors — six victims of sex trafficking and three of domestic servitude.

The State Department also warned that the closure of more than 5,700 nongovernmental organizations since 2018, including groups that assisted trafficking victims, has weakened protection networks. The report criticized the lack of investigations into officials allegedly involved in trafficking and warned of the risk of child exploitation in mining operations along Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. It also cited allegations that Nicaraguan women were fraudulently recruited to work at Russian facilities involved in military drone production.

Cuba also remains in Tier 3, largely because of labor practices associated with its international professional missions, particularly in the healthcare sector. Washington said the Cuban government withholds between 50% and 95% of the wages earned by workers sent abroad and imposes restrictions on their travel documents and ability to leave the programs. According to U.S. estimates, the number of Cuban workers participating in international missions fell from approximately 24,000 in early 2025 to between 15,000 and 18,000 in 2026. About 75% are healthcare personnel. The Cuban government has long rejected U.S. allegations and defended the programs as a form of international cooperation.

Venezuela also remains in Tier 3 because it does not meet minimum standards for combating human trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so. The State Department said that in 2025, the government of Nicolás Maduro allowed criminal organizations and U.S.-designated terrorist groups to recruit children for criminal activities and subject them to sex trafficking and forced labor. The report also cited the presence of workers linked to the Cuban government in forced labor conditions, the absence of comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation, and a lack of funding for efforts to combat trafficking. The report clarified that its findings concern the period before Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces on Jan. 3, 2026, and are not attributed to the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez. Because of the political transition, the United States was unable to engage with the interim government on human trafficking before the report was finalized.

The three Latin American countries share the lowest ranking with countries including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

In South America, Brazil and Bolivia remain on the Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year. The designation applies to countries making efforts to combat trafficking but facing significant shortcomings that warrant additional monitoring. In Brazil, authorities identified 167 trafficking victims in 2025, down from 362 in the previous reporting period. Washington said the country had failed to demonstrate an overall increase in its anti-trafficking efforts. Bolivia also remains under special monitoring. The State Department said authorities did not provide figures on trafficking victims identified in 2025, making it difficult to assess the government’s response. Both countries could be downgraded to Tier 3 if they remain on the watch list for a third consecutive year, unless an exception under U.S. law applies.

In Central America, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama remain in Tier 2, although their records on investigations and convictions vary. El Salvador reported 58 trafficking investigations in 2025, up from 18 the previous year, while the number of identified victims rose from 27 to 152. However, convictions fell from 11 to five, and shortcomings persisted in victim protection and assistance services. The report cited the case of 65 Salvadorans recruited to work in private security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who allegedly did not receive the wages they had been promised. In Costa Rica, convictions increased from two to 10, although investigations declined from 97 to 86. Panama reported an increase in investigations from 22 to 27, while difficulties in identifying and assisting victims persisted.

In the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic also remains in Tier 2. Trafficking convictions rose from 11 to 30, but investigations declined from 229 to 94.

Worldwide, the State Department identified 12 governments involved in patterns of human trafficking, including forced labor promoted or facilitated by state institutions. The list includes Afghanistan, Belarus, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, South Sudan, and Sudan. Russia and Myanmar were added this year, while Syria was removed.

In Asia, North Korea remains in Tier 3 for the 24th consecutive year because of forced labor practices in political prison camps, compulsory labor mobilization programs, and the deployment of workers abroad under restrictive conditions. China also remains in the lowest category; Washington cited forced labor practices affecting ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs. Hong Kong was downgraded to Tier 3 after two years on the Tier 2 Watch List because of shortcomings in victim identification and the prosecution of traffickers. Authorities in the territory rejected the U.S. assessment, calling it unfounded.

By contrast, South Korea remains in Tier 1, the highest category, for the third consecutive year, alongside 32 other countries and territories, including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Australia, and Singapore. The report acknowledged South Korea’s efforts to increase investigations and convictions but warned that penalties imposed on traffickers remain insufficient.

Other regions also saw changes in their rankings. Israel and Ghana were upgraded to Tier 1, while Papua New Guinea moved from Tier 3 to the Tier 2 Watch List. In Africa, the Republic of the Congo was downgraded to Tier 3, while Seychelles fell from Tier 1 to Tier 2, according to findings released following the report’s publication.

The report ranks countries in four categories: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List, and Tier 3. The assessment considers government efforts to prevent trafficking, prosecute offenders, and protect victims. It does not directly measure the number of people affected. The report defines human trafficking as the exploitation of people through force, fraud or coercion, primarily for sexual exploitation or forced labor, and includes practices such as domestic servitude, labor exploitation, slavery and the forced recruitment of children by armed groups.