Organized Crime and Human Trafficking in the United States

Abstract Despite prevailing narratives that human trafficking is largely driven by transnational organized crime groups, little empirical research has rigorously tested this assumption. This study presents a novel 5-S typology—size, scope, sophistication, structure, and self-identification—which yields five different types of organized crime groups: mom & pop, crime rings, street gangs, illicit businesses, and cartels/mafias/syndicates. Analyzing over 2,390 federally prosecuted human trafficking cases in the United States from 2000 to 2022, we systematically assess the nexus of organized crime and human trafficking. Findings reveal that the majority of cases (67%) involve unorganized individuals, and among those involving organized crime, most are small-scale "mom & pop" operations or decentralized crime rings rather than sophisticated cartels or syndicates. While this may be a function of potential selection bias inherent in using prosecuted cases as the basis for empirical analysis, the results challenge dominant framings of human trafficking and suggest the need to recalibrate enforcement strategies and policy assumptions. The study concludes by discussing critical implications for research, practice, and the future study of organized crime and human trafficking.