UNODC - United Nations Office

Purpose

Project TURQUESA aims to counter migrant smuggling and human trafficking through effective investigations and prosecutions in the Americas in a joint initiative, implemented by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The overarching objective of the project is to dismantle, disrupt and bring to justice organized crime groups and networks engaged in the smuggling of migrants (SOM) and Trafficking in Persons (TIP). It will do so by building the capacity of countries in the Americas to track, identify, investigate and prosecute organized criminal groups engaging in these and other related crimes. The project ensures sustainable benefits in the long term by strengthening the capacity of the law enforcement and criminal justice systems in individual countries to address migrant smuggling and human trafficking, improving their ability to engage and coordinate actions within and across national borders.