Arizona Law: Trafficking of Persons for Forced Labor or Services
Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1308 makes it a Class 2 felony to knowingly traffic a person with the intent or knowledge that the individual will be subjected to forced labor or services. This is one of the most serious criminal classifications in the state and can carry significant prison time, especially if other charges are involved.
Under this law, it is also illegal to:
Benefit financially or otherwise from involvement in a venture that has engaged in labor trafficking, even if you did not directly traffic someone yourself.
Participate in or be connected to related offenses such as:
Kidnapping (A.R.S. § 13-1306)
Unlawful imprisonment (A.R.S. § 13-1307)
Sex trafficking of a minor (A.R.S. § 13-3212(A)(9) or (10))
Or violations of the trafficking statute itself (A.R.S. § 13-1308)
What Does “Forced Labor or Services” Mean?
Arizona law defines forced labor or services as work obtained through serious threats, coercion, or abuse of power. This includes:
Causing or threatening physical injury
Restraining someone or threatening to restrain them
Withholding or destroying immigration or identity documents
Misusing the legal system to create fear (for example, threats of deportation)
Threatening financial harm, including debt-based coercion
Committing extortion
Controlling a person’s access to controlled substances, especially when used to maintain dependency or control
The law excludes ordinary household chores or reasonable discipline by a parent or legal guardian.
What Does “Traffic” Mean Under Arizona Law?
Trafficking is broadly defined. A person commits trafficking when they:
Entice, recruit, harbor, provide, transport, or obtain another person
Do so through deception, coercion, or force with the intent of subjecting the individual to forced labor or services
This means that a person does not need to physically move someone across borders or long distances to be guilty of trafficking. What matters is the intent to exploit and the use of coercive tactics.