page_title: Sex trafficking in the United States
section_title: Gang trafficking
hierarchical_section_title: Sex trafficking in the United States / Types of sex trafficking / Gang trafficking
caption_attribution_description: English: Image depicting member of MS13 gang. Work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
context_page_description: Sex trafficking in the United States is a form of human trafficking which involves reproductive slavery or commercial sexual exploitation as it occurs in the United States. Sex trafficking includes the transportation of persons by means of coercion, deception and/or force into exploitative and slavery-like conditions, and is commonly associated with organized crime.
  It has been estimated that two-thirds of trafficking victims in the United States are US citizens. Most victims who are foreign-born come into the US legally, on various visas. State Department estimated that between 15,000 and 50,000 women and girls are trafficked each year into the United States.
  The measures against trafficking of women focus on harsher criminal legislation and punishments, and improving international police cooperation. There are vast media campaigns which are designed to be informative to the public, as well as policy makers and potential victims.
context_section_description: In gang trafficking, the victim is controlled by more than one person.  Gangs are more often turning to sex trafficking as it is seen as safer and more lucrative than drug trafficking.  A victim controlled by gang trafficking may be sexually exploited by gang members as well as sold outside of the gang.  They may tattoo their victims to show their ownership over them.
  Federal prosecutors have indicted numerous MS-13 gang members on sex trafficking charges.
  In 2011, Alonso "Casper" Bruno Cornejo Ormeno, an associate of MS-13 from Fairfax, Virginia was sentenced to 292 months in prison for child prostitution. Ormeno recruited juvenile females into a prostitution ring by locating runaway children.
  In June 2012, Rances Ulices Amaya, a leader of MS-13, of Springfield was sentenced to 50 years in prison for child prostitution. He was convicted in February 2012 for trafficking girls as young as 14 into a prostitution ring. They were lured from middle schools, high schools, and public shelters. Once acquired by Amaya, they were required to have sex with a minimum of 10 individuals per day.
  In September 2012, Yimmy Anthony Pineda Penado, also known as "Critico" and "Spike", of Maryland was a former "clique leader" of MS-13. Penado became the 11th MS13 gang member to be convicted of child prostitution since 2011.
caption: MS gang sign and tattoos
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