The majority of foreign victims were women and children from neighboring countries, such as Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, who migrated to El Salvador in response to job offers, but were subsequently forced into prostitution or domestic servitude.
[1] In 2009 the Government of El Salvador did not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, however, it made significant efforts to do so.
During 2009, the government sustained anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts and continued to provide services to children who were trafficked for sexual exploitation.
It did not vigorously investigate or prosecute incidents of forced labor, and it did not take adequate measures to ensure that adult trafficking victims received access to necessary services.
During the reporting period, the government investigated three public officials for trafficking-related offences, including the former anti-trafficking coordinator in the Attorney General's Office; charges have not yet been filed.
In conjunction with an NGO, government officials drafted and distributed guidelines for criminal judges and prosecutors on procedures for human trafficking cases.
Domestically, Salvadoran authorities encouraged identified victims to assist with law enforcement efforts; 55 victims participated in investigations or prosecutions of their traffickers during the reporting period, though others chose not to assist law enforcement efforts due to social stigma or fear of reprisals from their traffickers.
The government included anti-trafficking information in the training it gives to military forces prior to their deployment for international peacekeeping missions.