Section » Human Smuggling

Quito, Ecuador: Elderly U.S. citizen detained for investigation in teenager’s death

American is being investigated in the death of a fifteen year old as well as an involvement in a suspected sex trafficking ring —–

elcomercio.com reported during a police operation in a residential neighborhood in the north of Quito, a foreigner from the U.S. was arrested for investigations into the Carolina death case. The 15-year-old girl who was found dead on a site in August 2018 at Comité del Pueblo, could have possibly been a victim of human trafficking.

According to the investigations, the man would be alias ‘El Abuelo'(the grandfather). Carolina’s mother reported that her daughter, days before she died, told her about the existence of a man identified as ‘ El Abuelo ‘. The woman, based on stories of minors who knew Carolina , says he could be involved with a network that recruited adolescents for sexual purposes in Quito . The capture of the suspect took place at noon on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Agents raided the house where the foreigner resides, an older adult and linked to a transnational company in Ecuador. The idea is to collect the necessary evidence , said uniformed. Initially, police sources indicated that the detainee would be the alleged ringleader of a trafficking gang , but police chiefs prefer to wait for investigations , to determine the connection and scope of the case. Two weeks ago, Amanda (protected name), mother of Carolina, reported that children and adolescents were recruited and asked to investigate a possible association with micro – trafficking of drugs to turn children into addicts, to whom the network provided narcotics in exchange for that they would accept being victims of sexual abuse.

Carolina left home on Saturday, August 25, 2018 with her mother’s permission, but did not return home and was found dead the next morning. A video recorded when her body was thrown by four people into a plot of land in the north of the city. The arrested American will be subject to a hearing and the judges will decide what will happen to him. On August 26, the uniformed officers already captured three people. After a diligence , two were remanded and one must appear on Tuesdays and Thursdays before the judicial authorities. Read Full Article

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Argentina: 10,000 victims of human trafficking rescued in past decade

  INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED SPANISH VOCABULARY READ THE BOOK The Argentinian government says it has rescued more than 10,000 victims of human trafficking in the past decade, almost half of whom were sex trafficking victims. It is a problem made more difficult to tackle by the complicity of corrupt officials. Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo reports from Buenos […]

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Ecuador: Sex Trafficking of the Indigenous, seldom reported or discussed

BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation)/ Anastasia Moloney – Hundreds of indigenous people, including children, across Ecuador are being trafficked each year but few victims come forward because of shame and fear and little is known about the true scale of the problem, campaigners say. In Ecuador, the most common form of human trafficking involves women and […]

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Three Ecuadorian women accept work in Chile to find out it was sex work, escape

Three Women from Ecuador promised jobs in Chile, find they would be forced into sex work. Three Ecuadorian men traveling with them forced to work in a brick factory. Human Trafficking Network Ecuador to Chile. eltelegrafo.com/ (machine translated)A man who only identified himself as ‘Gabriel’ contacted Ecuadorians and convinced them to travel to Chile. He […]

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Sonoita Arizona: Human Smugglers Stopped bringing in Mexican Nationals

cbp.gov/ Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents stopped two human smuggling attempts this week while conducting immigration checkpoint operations on State Route 83 near Sonoita. A U.S. citizen driving a 2001 Saturn Ion sped through the immigration checkpoint Tuesday, prompting agents to pursue the car a short distance before the driver pulled over. During a search […]

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U.S.: Couple from Ecuador Sentenced to prison in child smuggling operation

chron.com reported couple from Ecuador were the ringleaders of a smuggling operation that brought children into the United States, officials announced on Tuesday. Paul Esteban Estrella Villota, 40, and his wife, Magaly Alemania Malagon Sandoya, 42, will spend six years and five years, respectively, in federal prison after their sentencing in federal court in El […]

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Peru: Man detained using Facebook to meet minor females to work as prostitutes

Suspect found in hotel with minor child…. used Facebook to locate girl. elcomercio.pe reported the Special Unit for Trafficking Police Chimbote in Ancash , detained a subject that would integrate a criminal organization dedicated to attracting children via the social network Facebook for the purpose of prostitution in the city of Trujillo. After intelligence work, […]

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U.S. to expand refugee program for thousands fleeing violence in Central America

US to expand refugee admissions for Central Americans fleeing violence Theguardian.com reported John Kerry announces new effort to offer migrants ‘safe and legal alternative to dangerous journey’ in which they face threat of human smugglers. The US is to expand its refugee programme to help thousands of people fleeing violence in Central America avoid a […]

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Peru: U.S. citizen detained in sex trafficking, exploitation. sex tourism case

U.S. citizen detained as major player in sex trafficking and exploitation of minors ring elcomercio.pe reported Joshua David Brown AKA La Bestia'(The Beast) The Third Court of National Research School extended the preliminary detention of US citizen Joshua David Brown and three other defendants to integrate criminal gang involved the trafficking and sexual exploitation of […]

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Human Smuggling Ring Between South Asia, Ecuador, U.S. Dismantled

ministeriointerior.gob.ec reported sources reported that the investigations were conducted by the Unit Against the Crime of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants of the Directorate of Judicial Police (DNPJ) in coordination with the Attorney General. The operation took place after four months of investigation, the morning of Friday, December 11, simultaneously in Carchi, Guayas, […]

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Ecuador: Human Smuggling Ring dismantled, migrants from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh

ministeriointerior.gob.ec reported sources reported that the investigations were conducted by the Unit Against the Crime of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants of the Directorate of Judicial Police (DNPJ) in coordination with the Attorney General. The operation took place after four months of investigation, the morning of Friday, December 11, simultaneously in Carchi, Guayas, […]

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Bolivia: Three routes identified for commercial sex trafficking

elpaisonline.com reported a study by the Foundation ANAR (Help for Children and Adolescents at Risk) in Santa Cruz identified three routes of trafficking in women and sex trade, reported Radio Santa Cruz. “You have a small initial study identified three specific routes in Santa Cruz: the border with Argentina, the Brazilian border and the route […]

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Sex Trafficking Network Dismantled between Mexico and New York City

Security Agencies Mexico and EU dismantles women trafficking network operating from Tlaxcala; arrested eight people. The Attorney General’s Office broke up an international network of sexual exploitation, composed of 9 people operating in different states and New York City in the United States. The agency reported that the Attorney General of the Republic, Arely Gómez […]

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Bolivia: Woman arrested for selling her baby on Facebook

ecuavisa.com/EFE A Bolivian woman has been arrested after allegedly selling her one month old daughter through Facebook for the equivalent of $251.00. The baby was sold to an eighteen year old woman, who also was detained. They have been accused of trafficking in person. The mother who has four other children that she was not […]

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Five Ghanaians found dead on Colombia-Panama border in route to U.S.

ghanaweb.com reported five Ghanaian citizens, presumably illegal migrants traveling to the United States of America, were found dead on the Panamanian-Colombian border over the weekend. A farmer found their bodies washed up on the Turquesa River near Bajo Chiquito. The deceased were allegedly part of a larger group of 35 people fleeing from three separate […]

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Ecuador: Human Trafficking Network to the U.S. Broken up in Cuenca

Network of Human Smugllers to the U.S. broken up in Cuenca eluniverso.com reported two Ecuadorian and Mexican arrested in the police operation called American Illusion, were prosecuted for alleged involvement in the illegal transfer of migrants. Criminal Judge of Cuenca issued Unit them custody for 90 days. The action, which had the support of the […]

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Mexico: Leader of Human Trafficking group, detained

The leader of a human trafficking organization was arrested March 31 in Tenancingo, State of Mexico, United States authorities announced yesterday. Paulino Ramírez Granados was on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) list of 10 most wanted human traffickers. An investigation into the Granados organization began in 2000 when a victim who had been […]

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Massive police effort in break up of human trafficking ring between Ecuador, Pakistan

elcomercio.com reported a two-year investigation led Thursday April 16, 2015 to the arrest of eight people in Quito, The Core, Ambato and Tulcán. This was announced by the Ministry of Interior of Ecuador. The suspects, Pakistan and Ecuador, are the alleged leaders of a network of trafficking, said State Portfolio. According to research, citizens of […]

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Many women lured to Ecuador with false promises, forced into prostitution

elcomercio.com reported the women were deceived by false promises. Caribbean native, traveled to find opportunities in Ecuador. You hopeful. Borrowed hundreds of dollars needed to obtain letters of invitation and undertake to pay airfare foreign funded by unknown men, Ecuadorians and. But the debt and the trip were his trap. On reaching the country, those […]

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Tenancingo, Tlaxcala Mexico: Ground Zero for Lucrative Sex Slave Trade

TheGuardian.com/ Nina Lakhani reported….Méndez, like thousands of other vulnerable women in Mexico, was hoodwinked by a family of traffickers in Tlaxcala, the country’s smallest state just two hours south of Mexico City. This is a deeply religious place, where the indigenous Nahua people united with the Spanish to conquer the mighty Aztecs, but which over […]

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Florida: Patrick Minga former expat living in Ecuador sentenced in sex trafficking case

On 06-25-2014, Patrick R. Minga, plead guilty to attempting to induce and facilitate, for his own financial gain, the travel of an individual from Florida, to Quito, Ecuador for the purpose of that individual to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minor girls. Sentencing was scheduled for November 20, 2014 and continued to February 5, […]

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U.S.: Two Cuban Nationals detained, deported to Ecuador for human trafficking

reported that two Cuban nationals detained crossing the border from Mexico have been deported to Ecuador. They are wanted for smuggling women from Cuba and forcing them to work as prostitutes to pay off debts. They had tried to enter the U.S. through Laredo, Texas. Read Article

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Colombia: Journalist investigating child prostitution gangs, assaulted and threatened

en.rsf.org reported the journalist Oscar Castaño Valencia was assaulted and threatened by armed men four days ago as he was investigating the involvement of criminal gangs in child sexual exploitation in Antioquia department in North-West Colombia. For the past three months Castaño, director of the program “Oriéntese” on the TV station Cosmovisión, has been carrying […]

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Human Trafficking from Mesoamerica to Florida, U.S.

Human Trafficking from Southern Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala: Why These Victims are Trafficked into Modern Day Florida by Timothy Adam Golob ABSTRACT Florida is ranked as one of the United States’ top three destination states for human trafficking; many of those victims originate from Mesoamerica—Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Human trafficking […]

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Mexico: Tlaxcala and Puebla major route for sex traffickers, New York Connection.

Tlaxcala and Puebla. aristeguinoticias.com reported on one side of this road is Tenancingo, people known as the international capital of traffickers in women, although in reality the phenomenon extends throughout the southern region of l os states of Tlaxcala and Puebla. She, like other women, many children, pay them 250 pesos-about 19 dollars for 15 […]

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Ecuador: 158 Arrested Over Last Four Years for Human Trafficking

telegrafo.com.ec reported in the rehabilitation centers of Ecuador there are 158 persons imprisoned for the crime of trafficking in persons since 2010. Only in the last year were captured 48, of which 4 are foreigners and the rest is in the country, according to figures from the Justice Department of indicators, human rights and statistics […]

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Peru: Argentine Pimp detained for sexual exploitation of young girls

elcomercio.pe reported agents of the Division of Criminal investigation (Divincri) of Breña captured this morning citizen Argentine Mario Alberto Rodríguez Morales , of 45 years, for allegedly sexual exploitation of children. The subject, known as “Uncle Che”, was involved in his house, located on the third block of Colmena Avenue. In that place, which functioned […]

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U.S., Latin America: Child Immigration, risk of death

Nathalie Cely/Ecuador’s Ambassador to the U.S. wrote: In March, a little girl died scared and alone in a shelter in Mexico, lost on a perilous journey from the mountains of Ecuador to join her family in New York, more than 3,000 miles away. The death of 12-year old Noemi Alvarez Quilloy puts a tragic, human […]

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Colombia: NGOs states average 27 children raped daily in armed conflict

Elpais.com reported…There are no current statistics – or even estimates – on the number of children and adolescents who have been sexually abused. NGOs and charitable organizations have come up with their own numbers but, because those figures differ, it is difficult to paint an accurate picture. In a recent report, British NGO Oxfam said […]

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Peru: sex trafficking ring moving young girls to work in mining town of Chala

Young girls are lured by the possibility of working and or kidnapped in Lima, Cusco, or Puno. Held captive and forced to work as prostitutes. There documents are often taken from them. elcomercio.pe reported that what happened to the two girls is a practice used to attract teenagers to work in bars and nightclubs in […]

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Oaxaca Mexico: Priest reports that bodies are being discovered without organs

High number of cases in Mitla. Migrants at high risk of being victimized. The priest Alejandro Solalinde said that in the central valleys of Oaxaca have been located bodies of migrants and settlers of the body without organs, so alerted on the trafficking of organs in this region. n Forum TV interview, he said that […]

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Mexico City: 42 alleged victims of sex trafficking rescued in Aztec Men’s Club

yucatan.com.mx reported that an anonymous tip led to an operation in the “table dance” Aztec Men’s Club, located on Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas, Colonia Centro, near the junction with Izazaga, where they were found 42 alleged victims of trafficking and 54 people were arrested. The Attorney General of the Federal District held the device in […]

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Men Arrested in São Paulo and Pará, Brazil, on Human Trafficking Charges

On October 17, 2013, Portal ORM reported that two men have been arrested in São Paulo and the Brazilian state of Pará in connection with a string of human trafficking charges.  Police captured José Guedes, 25, of Inhangapi, in the northeast of Pará state.  He was picked up along with a transvestite of whom he […]

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Mexico: Police free 73 being held for ransom near U.S. border

Mexican police freed 73 people thought to have been kidnapped and held for ransom in a house near the US border, authorities said Monday. State and federal agents rescued the migrants from a home in Reynosa, which lies just across the Mexican border from McAllen, Texas. Read Article

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Argentina: Police break up prostitution trafficking ring after 911 call from victim

infobae.com reported that Police rescued five Paraguayan women in the town of Vicente López. Infobae In this note, the recording of the call to which the investigation was initiated and photos of the house of bondage The victims were forced into prostitution in an address “vip” generously sized “regenteado” by a bodybuilder, who was also […]

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Medellín, Colombia: Young Girls Auctioned Off as Prostitutes

On September 9, 2013 El Colombiano Noticias reported that in Medellín Colombia, sex traffickers have been distributing catalogs in which underage girls are “auctioned off” either to sex tourists or as prostitutes for criminal organizations. The victims are advertised as virgins between 12 and 14 years old, and come from both poor and wealthy neighborhoods. […]

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Quito, Ecuador: Human Trafficking and Illegal Adoption Behind Child Disappearances

On September 10, 2013 El Comercio Noticias reported the case of an organization in Ecuador dedicated to locating the biological parents of individuals who had been illegally adopted as children. Since 2009, Reencuentro has made contact with 12 alleged victims of illegal adoption. According to Prosecutor Tania Moreno, cases of child disappearances in Ecuador often […]

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Ushuaia, Argentina: 14 Trafficking Victims Rescued, 2 Arrested

On August 29, 2013 Te Leemos Las Noticias reported the rescue of 14 women who had been victims of sexual exploitation in Ushuaia. The victims include both foreign women and Argentinian women from various provinces. During the rescue operation which included raids on a nightclub and a residential home, police arrested two men for suspected […]

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El Hoyo, Argentina: Human Trafficking Suspected in Kidnapping

On August 29, 2013 Noticias de El Bolsón reported that police in El Hoyo are investigating a possible case of human trafficking following the rescue of two sisters and two children from a home in the Catarata Norte neighborhood. During the rescue operation, police arrested a resident of the house identified by the initials “D.M.” […]

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Molina, Chile: Court Sentences Father and Daughter for Labor Trafficking

On August 28, 2013 Emol Noticias reported the sentencing of Manuel Espinoza and his daughter Paola Espinoza Provoste each to 5 years imprisonment. The sentence against the accused for the crime of human trafficking for labor exploitation is the first of its kind in Chile. Espinoza and his daughter were found guilty of trafficking approximately […]

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Zulia, Venezuela: Two Sentenced for Involvement in Sex Trafficking Network

On August 29, 2013 Aporrea Noticias reported that Ramón Perozo Escalona and Nanras Suárez Rubio have been indicted for their involvement in a prostitution ring in the state of Zulia. The two defendants had been accused of trafficking adolescent girls for sexual exploitation, involving an adolescent in committing a crime, and supplying harmful substances. The […]

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Santa Ana, El Salvador: 3 Children Rescued from Suspected Human Traffickers

On August 28, 2013 La Página Noticias reported the rescue of three children during a police raid on the home of a couple in Santa Ana. As a result, police are now investigation two suspects, a Mexican male and his Salvadoran female partner, on suspicion of human trafficking. Although one of the rescued girls belonged […]

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Cusco, Peru: Police Rescue 5 Foreign Trafficking Victims

On August 15, 2013 Perú 21 Noticias reported the rescue of 5 foreign trafficking victims during a police operation in Cusco. The male victims, all from India, had been forced by a compatriot to work for the past year as food preparation workers at the San Pedro Hotel. The victims were unable to escape as […]

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Ecuador: Pichincha, Imbabura, Sucumbíos and Guayas Showing Highest Incidence of Human Trafficking

On September 26, 2012 El Comercio Noticias reported that police in Ecuador have identified the provinces of Pichincha, Imbabura, Sucumbíos and Guayas as the areas showing the greatest incidence of human trafficking in the country, particularly in terms of sexual exploitation. According to the police report, most of the trafficking victims come from Cotopaxi, Manabí, […]

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Lima, Peru: Government Inaugurates Campaign Against Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation

On August 22, 2013 La República Noticias reported that the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism presented a campaign against human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. The campaign began with the distribution of posters and brochures at the airport in Lima. There are […]

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Tlaxcala, Mexico: Bar Closed on Suspicion of Human Trafficking

On August 26, 2013 Unomasuno Noticias reported a police operation involving several bars in Tlaxcala. The police operation is reportedly aimed at fighting human trafficking, drug dealing and other suspected illegal acts within the establishments. During the operation, police closed the “Very Good” bar due to safety code violations as well as for violating the […]

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El Calafate, Argentina: Bar Investigated for Possible Human Trafficking

On August 24, 2013 Clarín Noticias reported a raid on the “El Gran Judas” cabaret in El Calafate in which police found irregularities in the work documentation of several women, prompting an investigation into possible human trafficking. During the operation, police also found condoms and other evidence that could suggest the presence of prostitution activities. […]

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Ushuaia, Argentina: Raids Conducted on Suspicion of Human Trafficking

On August 26, 2013 Sur54 Noticias reported that in the last hours police conducted two separate raids in Ushuaia, including a nightclub and a private house. The raids occurred following a complaint the places were being used for human trafficking. As the investigation is still in the preliminary stage, police were unable to release the […]

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Salta, Argentina: Two Trafficking Victims Rescued in Separate Operations

On August 26, 2013 Informate Salta Noticias reported the rescue of two female trafficking victims in two separate police operations carried out in Salta. In the first case, a 19-year-old girl from San Ramón de la Nueva Orán was rescued in Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz. The victim had moved to Puerto Deseado after accepting what […]

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San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas: 15 Sex Trafficking Victims Rescued, 2 Arrested

On August 26, 2013 NSS Chiapas Noticias reported the rescue of fifteen female sex trafficking victims from Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. The women had been forced into prostitution at different bars in Pijijiapan Township, located on the coast of Chiapas. Authorities also found the women living in unsanitary and inhumane conditions. During the operation, police […]

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Tarqui, Ecuador: 3 Found Guilty of Child Labor Trafficking

On August 24, 2013 El Diario Noticias reported that an Ecuadoran court has handed down a guilty verdict to three individuals accused of human trafficking. Defendants Carlos Aurelio Palma Minda, Juan Pedro Palma Minda and Zoila María Arce Minda were found guilty of exploiting children and adolescents to sell candy apples in Tarqui. The court […]

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Interpol Arrests in Uruguay Fugitive Couple Sentenced for Human Trafficking

On August 24, 2013 Diario El Norte Noticias reported that Interpol has arrested a couple that had fled Argentina a year ago after being found guilty of human trafficking. María Marta Gómez was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and her partner Paul Picatto was given a sentence of six years after the criminal court […]

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Necochea, Argentina: Police Arrest Human Trafficking Fugitive

On August 24, 2013 Agencia Quinta Sección reported the arrest of a fugitive in Necochea who is accused of involvement in a sex trafficking network dismantled last month by police. Two other members of the gang were arrested last month in Tres Arroyos. The three are accused of sexually exploiting eight foreign women at a […]

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Molina, Chile: Father and Daughter Sentenced for Human Trafficking

On August 23, 2013 Red Maule Noticias reported that Manuel Espinoza and his daughter Paola Espinoza Provoste have been sentenced on charges of labor trafficking. The two were found guilty of participating in the trafficking of over sixty Bolivians to work installing high tension towers. The prosecution has requested five years imprisonment for Espinoza and […]

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Mexico City, Mexico: Police Rescue 18 Trafficking Victims, Detain 4 Suspects

On August 23, 2013 Excelsior Noticias reported the arrest of four suspects accused of sex trafficking in the Iztapalapa and Cuauhtémoc neighborhoods of Mexico City. The suspects were identified as Carlos Murrieta Argüelles, Alfredo Delgado Arteaga, Julio César Aguilar Delgado and Raúl Flores Castro. During the operation, police also rescued 18 women aged between 25 […]

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Viña del Mar, Chile: Police Uncover Possible Child Sex Exploitation Network

On August 22, 2013 Noticias Terra reported that police have discovered a possible criminal network engaged in child sex exploitation in Viña del Mar. Authorities believe the gang to consist of three persons, with one of them overseeing the administration of the illegal sex services while the other two transported the minors to various sites. […]

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Mexico City, Mexico: Man Claims Prison Sentence Punishment for Denouncing Human Traffickers

On August 22, 2013 Yucatanall Noticias reported the case of David Mondragón Zamora who has been imprisoned since 2010 on charges of extortion and sexual abuse. Mondragón Zamora has since appealed his sentence, claiming the charges were an act of political vengeance after he accused local authorities of sexually exploiting women and children. It is […]

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Peru Loosens Restrictions on Wiretapping for Kidnapping, Pedophilia and Human Trafficking

On August 22, 2013 Noticias Peru reported that the Peruvian government has amended its laws concerning wiretapping so that police no longer have to apply for a warrant or judicial authorization to conduct wiretaps for suspected crimes such as kidnapping, human trafficking, child pornography, aggravated robbery, extortion and drug trafficking. The amendment to Law No. […]

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Mar del Plata, Argentina: Suspect Arrested for Human Trafficking

On August 22, 2013 Diario Atlantico Noticias reported the arrest of Jorge Alberto Melo during a traffic checkpoint along Highway 11 near Mar del Plata. The arrest was made following the issue of an APB for a suspected human trafficker. After the car driver initially presented police fraudulent documentation during the checkpoint, police demanded further […]

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Gulf of Urabá, Colombia: Four Arrested at Border for Human Trafficking

On August 21, 2013 La Hora Noticias reported that a judge in Cartagena has sentenced to pretrial detention four individuals accused of involvement in an international human trafficking organization. According to the investigation, the accused suspects allegedly participated in the transport of immigrants from Africa and Asia to Colombia and then to Panama, with the […]

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Los Hornos, Argentina: Mother Helps Rescue Daughter from Sex Trafficking Network

On August 21, 2013 Terra Noticias reported the case of a woman who helped rescue her daughter from a trafficking network that had held the girl captive for nearly two months and forced her to work as a prostitute. Luisa López managed to find the address of the house in Los Hornos where her disabled […]

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La Paz, Bolivia: Cosmetics Distributor Copamar Investigated for Human Trafficking

On August 21, 2013 La Prensa Noticias reported that cosmetics distributor Copamar, which operates in La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Tarija, is being investigated on suspicion of trafficking approximately 200 young women between 18 and 25 years old. According to prosecutor Humberto Quispe, Copamar would investigate the social and family lives of the girls […]

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Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: International Sex Trafficking Network Dismantled

On August 20, 2013 Listin Diario Noticias reported that authorities have arrested three alleged ringleaders of a criminal network that trafficked women from the Dominican Republic to Trinidad and Tobago for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The arrested suspects were identified as Martín Ogando García, Daisy Mota Guillermo and Osiris Hernández Morel. Dominican authorities reported […]

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Santa Fe, Argentina: Six Individuals to Stand Trial for Human Trafficking

On August 20, 2013 Notife Noticias reported the opening of a trial for six defendants on charges of aggravated human trafficking. The defendants are accused of kidnapping a15-year-old girl and holding her captive for two weeks, during which time she was sexually assaulted. The defendants include police officer José Luis Maza, taxi driver Cristian Fabián […]

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La Paz, Bolivia: 3 Copamar Employees Charged with Human Trafficking, Fraud

On August 20, 2013 La Razón Noticias reported the arrest of three individuals accused of defrauding and trafficking victims through the company Copamar. Attorney General Humberto Quispe informed last night that the suspects were initially charged with scamming young people with the false promise of joining the perfume-selling company in exchange for 2,100 bolivianos (around […]

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Mexico City, Mexico: 13 Sex Trafficking “Hot Spots” Identified

On August 19, 2013 Dominio Ciudadano Noticias reported the identification of 13 “hot spots” in Mexico City with a high concentration of sex trafficking activity. The sites include La Merced, Garibaldi, Sullivan, Avenida de los Insurgentes, Reforma, Tlalpan, Plaza de la Soledad, the Santo Tomás and Manzanares alleyways, Zona Rosa, Buenavista, Roma and Condesa. This […]

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Orán, Argentina: 27-Year-Old Arrested for Having Underage Girlfriend

On August 19, 2013 Minuto Nuequén Noticias reported that the police human trafficking division has arrested a 27-year-old male from Orán who was living with a 13-year-old girl, allegedly in an amorous relationship. Police became aware of the situation after the girl’s mother reported her daughter had suddenly moved out of their home to live […]

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Salvador Mazza, Argentina: 90-Day Leave Granted to Mayor Caught in Human Trafficking Scandal

On August 18, 2013 Minuto Uno Noticias reported that the Salvador Mazza city council has granted a 90-day leave of absence to its mayor, Carlos Villalba, who was arrested last Thursday during a series of raids on a suspected human trafficking operation. The leave of absence request was passed despite heavy protest by provincial representatives […]

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Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil: Owner of Nightclub Detained for Human Trafficking Activity

midianews.com.br reported on August 189, 2013 that the owner of a night club in Mato Grosso do Sul was detained by the military police for human trafficking and prostitution charges. Police received information of such activity from a victim of the nightclub who was promised work. The girl was then forced into prostitution as was […]

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Rio Tercero, Argentina: Religious Group Investigated for Human Trafficking

On August 16, 2013 Día a Día Noticias reported the criminal court of Córdoba conducted a series of raids on the homes of employees of the Pueblo Grande church in Rio Tercero. The raids included the home of the protestant church’s pastor, Marcelo Nieva. Nieva is accused of leading a “sect” that allegedly holds most […]

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Oaxaca, Mexico: Four Teenagers Rescued in Anti-Sex Trafficking Operation

On August 16, 2013 Quadratín Oaxaca Noticias reported the rescue of four female teenagers exploited in bars and brothels in several municipalities near Oaxaca. The police operation included raids on the “La Peña Dorada” and “El Milagro” bars. At the first raided bar, police arrested the owner Elvira López Lorenzo. They also rescued two female […]

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Paraná, Argentina: 5 Persons of Interest Identified During Human Trafficking Raid

On August 17, 2013 AIM Digital Noticias reported that police in Paraná have raided a house on suspicion it was part of human trafficking operation. In the raided house, police identified five persons of interest in the case. Two notebooks, a CPU, a 9mm pistol and 23 shell cartridges of the same caliber were also […]

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Lonquimay, Argentina: Supreme Court Orders Investigation into Support of Brothel by Local Officials

On August 16, 2013 Noticias Terra reported the Supreme Court has filed a complaint alleging that local officials in Lonquimay provided illegal protection to a local brothel. The ordered investigation includes the mayor of Lonquimay, Luis Rogers, Deputy Commissioner Carlos Adrián Alanis and the owner of the “Good Night” whiskey bar, Carlos Fernández. The case […]

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Tres Arroyos, Argentina: Suspect Arrest for Human Trafficking

On August 16, 2013 Informate Acá reported the arrest of an adult male on charges of human trafficking. The arrest of the suspect, whose identity has yet to be revealed, is closely connected to the July 4 police raid on the “Coquetas” cabaret. Eight women, mostly from Paraguay, were rescued during the July raid. According […]

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Salta, Argentina: Legislators Seek Resignation of Mayor Involved in Human Trafficking Case

On August 16, 2013 Poder Local Noticias reported that several provincial legislators are seeking the resignation of the mayor of the town of Salvador Mazza, Carlos Villalba, who is caught up in a local human trafficking case. The president of the House of Representatives, Manuel Santiago, requested the mayor to submit his resignation after he […]

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Salta, Argentina: 64 Female Trafficking Victims Rescued

On August 15, 2013 Emol Noticias reported the rescue of 64 women from a human trafficking network following police raids on several nightclubs in Salta. During the police operation, which took place in various parts of the city, authorities arrested nine suspects including the mayor of Salvador Mazza, Carlos Villalba. Villalba and the other suspects […]

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Two Africans and Four Colombians Arrested for Human Trafficking in Colombia

On August 15, 2013 El Colombiano Noticias reported the arrest of two Africans and four Colombian citizens on charges of human trafficking. The arrests occurred Monday in Bogotá, Medellin, Turbo and Gamarra. The suspects are accused of involvement in a criminal organization that trafficked immigrants to Panama with a final destination in the United States. […]

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Antioquia, Colombia: Police Break Up International Human Trafficking Network

On August 14, 2013 Infosur Noticias reported the arrest of twelve suspects and the rescue of nine undocumented immigrants after Colombian authorities dismantled an international human trafficking network in the department of Antioquia. The traffickers were planning to transport the immigrants, five Nepalese and four Bangladeshis, to Panama where they would then be sent to […]

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El Hoyo, Argentina: Authorities Unable to Confirm if Trafficking Behind Recent Kidnapping

On August 15, 2013 Ruta 40 Noticias reported that after two women and two children were rescued during a recent police raid on a house in the town of El Hoyo, authorities were initially led to believe it was a possible case of human trafficking. However, authorities are now lacking the evidence to determine whether […]

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Puerto Deseado, Argentina: Possible Human Trafficking Case Detected

On August 14, 2013 Tiempo Sur Noticias reported a possible case involving human trafficking in Puerto Deseado, Argentina. So far not much is known concerning the case, as the complaint was made recently through an anonymous call to the Interior Ministry’s office. However, it is known that the victim is a 19-year-old female from the […]

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60 Trafficking Victims Rescued in San Luis, Córdoba and Tucumán, Argentina

On August 14, 2013 Notiamérica Noticias reported the rescue of 60 trafficking victims during a series of police operation in the provinces of San Luis, Córdoba and Tucumán. The first operation took place at a potato farm in San Luis where police rescued 13 victims of labor exploitation. Police then rescued 45 people in Malvinas […]

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Guadalajara, Mexico: Suspect Arrested for Exploiting Women and Children for Labor

On August 5, 2013 Unión Jalisco Noticias reported the arrest of Joel García López on charges of human trafficking. The arrest was made possible by an anonymous complaint that informed police the suspect had forced a woman to sell candy from seven in the morning until six in the afternoon without pay. Police later determined […]

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Ecuador: Human Smuggling network broken up, Asian victims

Victims headed to U.S. were Nepalese, Bengali and Hindi Coordinated action between the police forces of Ecuador and Colombia in Quito allowed the dismantling of a band dedicated to trafficking in persons, particularly of Asian, whose final destination was the United States, officials said Monday. The Interior Ministry said six suspects Ecuador Nepalese origin, Bengali […]

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Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic: 7 Trafficking Victims Rescued from Night Clubs

On August 13, 2013 El Día Noticias reported that police rescued 10 females during raids on several night clubs, including three minors found consuming alcoholic beverages and seven women who were allegedly being forced into prostitution. 10 trafficking suspects were also arrested during the operation. Among those arrested were the owner of the dance club […]

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Joint Police Operation in Quito, Bogotá and Cartagena Dismantles Human Trafficking Gang

On August 12, 2013 Universo Noticias reported the arrest of six trafficking suspects during a police operation in Quito. The suspects, which include both Indians and Colombians, are believed to belong to an international trafficking gang. Police also rescued 12 suspected victims of human trafficking during the raids on six homes and 4 commercial locations. […]

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Panama City, Panama: Bail Denied to Accused Trafficking Suspects

On August 12, 2013 Crítica noticias reported that a judge in Panama City has denied bail to five suspects facing trial for human trafficking and money laundering. The accused, which include a Colombian female, a Jamaican male and three Panamanians, were arrested at the “La Jungla” bar, located in the El Terraplén waterfront area. Authorities […]

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El Hoyo, Argentina: Police Investigate Kidnapping Suspect for Human Trafficking

On August 12, 2013 El Bolson Noticias reported that police in El Hoyo are investigating a recent missing persons case to determine whether human trafficking was involved. The case began when two children, aged 2 and 3 respectively, were rescued on July 27 along with their mother and aunt from the house where they were […]

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Mexico City, Mexico: PAN Representative Alleges Street Vendors Victims of Child Trafficking

On August 12, 2013 Criterio Hidaldo Noticias reported that PAN Rep. Olivia Garza has filed a complaint with the local attorney general alleging that teens are being forced to sell sexual services at two intersections in Mexico City. According to the complaints, two citizens claimed the female teens were attempting to sell gum to drivers […]

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Sullana, Peru: Bar Owner and Patron Arrested for Human Trafficking

On August 12, 2013 La Hora Noticias reported the arrest of a bar owner and patron in Sullana on charges they were forcing a 16-year-old girl to work at the bar. Orgelinda Ángeles Salazar and her customer Servando Nole Méndez were originally taken to the police station for questioning following an incident where Nole Méndez […]

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General Güemes, Argentina: Police Rescue Child Sex Trafficking Victim, Arrest Traffickers

On August 10, 2013 La Nación reported the rescue of a 15-year-old sex trafficking victim in the town of General Güemes, 50 miles north of Salta. During the operation, police also arrested two men suspected of sex trafficking and pimping, a Bolivian and a man from the province of Chaco. They are accused of forcing […]

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Mexico City, Mexico: 32 Sex Trafficking Victims Rescued in Upscale Zona Rosa Neighborhood

On August 10, 2013 Zócalo Saltillo Noticias reported the rescue of 26 foreign women and six Mexican women, the apparent victims of sex trafficking, from the Zona Rosa neighborhood of Mexico City. The rescued foreign victims include Russian, Ukrainian, Venezuelan and Colombian nationals. Police also arrested three of the suspected traffickers, while not ruling out […]

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Mexico City, Mexico: High Percentage of Trafficking Victims are Indigenous Children

On August 8, 2013 Página Ciudadana Noticias reported that during the recent International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, Rep. Miriam Saldaña spoke on the necessity to strengthen policies to improve the lives of Mexico’s indigenous peoples, as they continue to live in deplorable conditions of discrimination, social exclusion, marginalization, poverty, labor exploitation and sexual […]

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Arequipa, Peru: Couple Arrested for Murdering Newborn, Human Trafficking

On August 7, 2013 RPP Noticias reported the arrest of a couple in Arequipa accused of infanticide and human trafficking. Salustiano Huamán Puma and his partner Obdulia Choque Sulca are under investigation for the murder of their infant child as well as for human trafficking after two undocumented minors were discovered in their custody. After […]

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Tlaxcala, Mexico: 16 Arrested for Sex Trafficking

On August 9, 2013 UPI Español Noticias reported that police in Tlaxcala have arrested 16 people on charges of human trafficking, including prostitutes and sex customers. The arrests were made following the State Attorney General’s decision to shut down two brothels operating in the city. Authorities believe that both of the brothels were actively involved […]

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Durango, Mexico: Extradition Sought for Human Trafficking Suspect

On August 9, 2013 El Siglo Noticias reported that the Durango State Attorney General, Sonia Yadira de la Garza Fragoso, reported that she has obtained an arrest warrant for a suspect accused of human trafficking. As the suspect is currently residing in another country, an extradition request has also been submitted. The suspect’s victim was […]

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Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil: Teenager Detained for Human Trafficking Activity

Globo reported on August 7, 2013 that a 19-year old female was arrested in Mato Grosso do Sul for human trafficking and prostitution activity. Police report that the house of the female functioned as a prostitution site in which four women were lured into the activity with promises of pay. The women were not allowed […]

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Tlaxcala, Mexico: Police Arrest Man for Trafficking Girlfriend as Prostitute

On August 8, 2013 Unomasuno Noticias reported the arrest of Noel Águila Varela, accused of forcing his girlfriend to work as a prostitute at several bars and nightclubs in Tlaxcala and Puebla. According to a statement by the victim, the suspect not only forced her into prostitution but also beat her “to the point of […]

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Buenos Aires, Argentina: Textile Mill Owner Arrested for Labor Trafficking

On August 8, 2013 26 Noticias reported the arrest of a textile mill owner on charges of labor trafficking. The suspect, a Bolivian male, was arrested after the Federal Public Revenue Administration (AFIP) reported four children and six adults were working illegally at the textile mill. The agency also found that employees were forced to […]

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General Pico, Argentina: 3 Bar Owners Arrested for Sex Trafficking

On August 8, 2013 InfoPico Noticias reported the arrest of three bar owners on charges of human trafficking, including Ernesto Viani, owner of the “El Tío” bar, Nuris Carballow, owner of the “El Bastión” bar, and Aríel Martinez, owner of several cabarets. During a raid on the “El Tío” bar, police rescued six women who […]

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Tijuana, Mexico: 3 Sentenced for Human Trafficking

On August 7, 2013 El Mexicano Noticias reported two cases of human trafficking involving sexual and labor exploitation. Ángel Rafael Pérez Parker and his wife Elizabeth Rodríguez Navarrete were each sentenced to 12 years prison after being found guilty of sexually exploiting an underage female student and two young girls from Agua Prieta, Sonora. Meanwhile, […]

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