Threat Environment: Central & South America

refugees: 5 (2024 est.)

Hizballah note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees: 9,175 (2024 est.) IDPs: 74 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 34 (2024 est.)

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Barbados did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/barbados/

refugees: 13 (2024 est.)

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

refugees: 2,287 (2024 est.) IDPs: 8 (2024 est.)

Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Bolivia did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/bolivia/

refugees: 1,163 (2024 est.) IDPs: 12,070 (2024 est.)

Hizballah; Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Brazil did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/brazil/

refugees: 331,097 (2024 est.) IDPs: 19,043 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 27 (2024 est.)

refugees: 41 (2024 est.)

refugees: 65 (2024 est.)

Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees: 15,788 (2024 est.) IDPs: 8,323 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 1,688 (2024 est.)

National Liberation Army (ELN); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (FARC-EP); Segunda Marquetalia (SM); Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 30,611 (2024 est.) IDPs: 7,264,767 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 5 (2024 est.)

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 249,521 (2024 est.) IDPs: 58 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 345 (2024 est.)

tier rating: Tier 3 Cuba does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Cuba remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/cuba/

refugees: 171 (2024 est.) IDPs: 37,171 (2024 est.)

refugees: 5 (2024 est.)

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

refugees: 1,004 (2024 est.) IDPs: 390 (2023 est.)

Los Choneros; Los Lobos

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 30,241 (2024 est.) IDPs: 57,402 (2024 est.)

La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 392 (2024 est.) IDPs: 35,391 (2024 est.)

IDPs: 383 (2024 est.)

La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 4,676 (2024 est.) IDPs: 572,813 (2024 est.)

refugees: 79 (2024 est.)

Gran Grif; Viv Ansanm note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

tier rating: Special Case; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/haiti/

refugees: 5 (2024 est.) IDPs: 1,041,229 (2024 est.)

La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 341 (2024 est.) IDPs: 100,637 (2024 est.)

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

tier rating: Tier 3 Nicaragua does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Nicaragua remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/nicaragua/

IDPs: 89 (2024 est.)

Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

refugees: 10,801 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 928 (2024 est.)

Hizballah note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees: 7,649 (2024 est.) IDPs: 141 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 5 (2024 est.)

Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso); Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 546,699 (2024 est.) IDPs: 83,441 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 32 (2024 est.)

IDPs: 146 (2024 est.)

refugees: 5 (2024 est.)

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Saint Lucia was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/saint-lucia/

refugees: 5 (2024 est.)

tier rating: Tier 3 Sint Maarten does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Sint Maarten remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/sint-maarten/

refugees: 3,241 (2024 est.)

Tren de Aragua (TdA)

refugees: 24,134 (2024 est.)

refugees: 8 (2024 est.)

refugees: 32,149 (2024 est.) IDPs: 33 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 5 (2024 est.)

National Liberation Army (ELN); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP); Segundo Marquetalia (SM); Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

tier rating: Tier 3 Venezuela does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making any efforts to do so, therefore, Venezuela remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/venezuela/

refugees: 20,911 (2024 est.) IDPs: 2,338 (2024 est.)