Latin America | Our Rescue
Rise Up For Freedom
Your gift could be doubled right now.
Rise Up Now
The Safe Game Event is Live.
Learn More
Skip to main content

Latin America

Field Operations
Survivor Care

Explore Latin America Resources

2 min read • Latin America • Mission Stories

Protecting Children Before Exploitation Happens: Strengthening Ecuador’s Fight Against Online Trafficking 

For many parents, a social media friend request, an online conversation, or a potential job opportunity shared through a messaging app may seem harmless.  For human traffickers, those same interactions can be the first step toward exploitation.  Today, human trafficking and child exploitation often begin long before a victim is ever physically encountered. Increasingly, predators…
5 min read • Latin America • Mission Stories

The Power of Your Voice Returns to Manta: Join the 2nd Annual 1K, 5K & 10K Race Against Child Exploitation 

Raising our voices, taking our steps, and standing together as we race for a safer future for every child in Ecuador  On September 20, 2026, hundreds of runners, families, advocates, and community members will gather in Manta, Ecuador, for the second annual El Poder De Tu Voz, The Power of…
Operation FENIX 256, 2 boys walking in jungle
3 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

When Every Second Counts: Operation FENIX 256 Rescues 17-Year-Old Ecuadorian Girl from Future of Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation

At the end of 2025, Our Rescue’s Latin America team came together with the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) Anti-Trafficking Unit (UNAT) and the Attorney General’s Office (FGE) to execute Operation FENIX 256, a joint effort that would span multiple regions and confront a criminal network known for human trafficking and exploitation.  This is the story of…
4 min read • Field Operations • Latin America

The Case of the Altar Server in Ecuador: Authorities Coordinate Raids, Arrest Three Including Church Altar Server

On April 16, 2026, Ecuadorian authorities came together to execute simultaneous, highly coordinated field operations across multiple provinces. The purpose? To confront individuals suspected of creating and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Investigators with CiberPOL, a division of the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP), worked with prosecutors from the Fiscalía…
4 min read • Field Operations • Latin America

OPERATION COYOTE 507

 2 Children and 7 Adults Found, Traffickers Targeting Vulnerable Migrants Along the Darién Route Stopped  The Darién is a province in Panama that shares its easternmost border with Colombia. It is home to the Darién Gap, a roadless, 100-mile-long stretch of rugged mountains, dense jungle, and deep swamps that stand like a wall between Central America and its South American neighbors. It is a lawless, extremely dangerous region,…
4 min read • Field Operations • Homepage Featured • Latin America • Mission Stories

Four Operations in One Week: Our Rescue Helps Police  Expand Rescues and Arrests in Ecuador and Chile  

Trafficking networks, online predators, and child sex offenders have no borders. Their criminal activity reaches across regions and countries without regard for geography. For law enforcement to respond successfully, they cannot be confined by borders, either.  Over the course of one week in October, Our Rescue teamed up with Latin American authorities on four closely coordinated operations. These concentrated “surges” expanded rescue efforts and arrests across Ecuador and Chile. Authorities arrested suspected offenders,…
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

Our Rescue Support for Ecuador Authorities in CSAM Investigation Leads to Arrest in Quito 

In March of 2026, investigators with CiberPOL, part of the Ecuadorian National Police, followed a CyberTip submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and traced it to a location south of the city. Someone was distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), meaning children were in need of help. Working quickly, with support from Our Rescue, investigators built a careful case in…
3 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories • Survivor Care

Multiple “Operation Digitals” Result in 6 Arrests Across Latin America: Our Rescue Supports Police CSAM Investigations Targeting Online Exploitation 

In Latin America, law enforcement continues to confront the growing spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). These horrific cases often begin with a tip online and lead police to discover real sexual abuse involving children. A recent series of four “Operation Guardian” cases, supported by Our Rescue in Ecuador and Chile, highlight how coordinated investigations, digital intelligence, and in-country support are essential in helping…
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories • Survivor Care

Two Teenaged Girls Rescued from a Life of Sexual Exploitation:  Our Rescue Aids Law Enforcement in Ecuador’s Fight Against Transnational Criminal Organizations 

In just two days, Ecuadorian National Police (ENP), their Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (UNAT), the Attorney General’s Office (FGE), and members of Our Rescue’s team in Latin America came together to rescue two teenaged girls, ages 14 and 17, from a life of sexual exploitation. Embroiled in extremely dangerous gang activity, caught between a notorious Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) and local rival gangs,…
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories • Survivor Care

Urgent CyberTip Triggers Police Operation in Ecuador: 2 Children Rescued, 2 Suspects Arrested

Every day, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) receives thousands of CyberTipline reports that require urgent review because they may involve children in immediate danger. In 2024 alone, staff identified and escalated more than 51,000 reports as urgent or involving imminent risk and…
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

Operation Fenix 86: Two 7-Year-Old Sisters Rescued from Father’s Suspected Sexual Abuse and Exploitation 

In Ecuador, two 7-year-old girls were allegedly being sexually exploited by their father.   In February of 2026, investigators from the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) Anti-Trafficking Unit (UNAT) discovered child sexual abuse material (CSAM) featuring the two children in sexually explicit photographs that were being distributed to a social media group.   Working alongside the Attorney General’s Office (FGE) and with the support of Our Rescue, ENP UNAT initiated a search and arrest warrant at…
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories • Survivor Care

12-Year-Old Rescued in Ecuador, 1 Suspect Arrested

In Ecuador, a 12-year-old child was living under a lie facing sexual exploitation.  An adult had convinced the child that he was family and someone they could trust, someone who had authority in their life. He then used that false identity to gain control and sexually exploit, creating a reality that no child should ever have to navigate.  But investigators with…
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

Advertised Online. Found in a Hotel: 17-Year-Old Rescued, 5 Suspects Arrested for Human Trafficking 

She was only 17 years old, and she was being sold online for sex.  In September, the Peruvian National Police received a tip that someone was allegedly advertising the sexual services of minors, girls between the ages of 14 and 17, through a website and across social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp,…
2 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

Operation Code Rescue: 48 Hours, 4 Children Rescued, 4 Arrested

Within 48 hours, Our Rescue’s collaboration with the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) Anti-Trafficking Unit (UNAT) and the Attorney General’s Office (FGE) in Ecuador resulted in the arrest of 4 individuals suspected of sexually exploiting children. Today, 4 children are now safe from sexual abuse.   In August of 2025, teams came together in Guayaquil to respond to the exploitation of a 14-year-old girl. Investigators…
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

Operation Esperanza 04

 On January 13, 2026, Our Rescue team in Latin America partnered with the Ecuadorian National Police Anti-Trafficking Unit and the Attorney General’s Office in Operation Esperanza 04 in Quito.   What began as a missing person report led to the safe recovery of a 17-year-old survivor and her infant baby, both of whom had been caught…
3 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories • Survivor Care

Three Children Rescued, 1 Suspect Arrested in Peru During Our Rescue-Supported CSAM Investigation 

In the Huaycán district of Lima, Peru, one child, the niece of an adult male predator, was being sexually abused and exploited behind closed doors.  In the city of Huancayo, based in the Junin region, miles away, another two minor-age children, family cousins to that same perpetrator, lived separate lives but faced the same abuse at the hands of the same man.  Peruvian investigators would soon connect both.  In late 2025, multiple CyberTipline reports submitted by Google through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children…
2 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories • Survivor Care

Our Rescue Participates in Survivor Care Center Inauguration in Peru

On January 15, 2026, a powerful door opened in Peru that had never existed before.  At the facilities of the Policía Nacional del Perú (PNP) in the Piura Region, Our Rescue and law enforcement officials gathered to inaugurate a Survivor Recovery and Care Facility, built to serve survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. …
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

Operation Stingray: 34-Year-Old Chilean Security Guard Arrested for CSAM 

In Chile, a 34-year-old security guard was suspected of using online spaces to target and exploit children, leveraging access to social media to harass and coerce minors into producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).   Following the discovery of these alleged crimes, Chile’s Investigative Police (Policía de Investigaciones de Chile, PDI) launched Operation Mantarraya with support from Our Rescue to identify and apprehend the…
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

9-Year-Old Girl Rescued During Operation Hope in Chile

In Chile, a nine-year-old girl was identified in child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files during a police investigation, setting in motion a coordinated police response in Santiago’s Metropolitan Region to rescue her. On November 2025, the Chilean Investigative Police (PDI) launched Operation Hope with coordinated support from the Our Rescue…
5 min read • Asia • Europe • Latin America • Mission Stories • U.S./Canada

2025 Year in Review: A Year of Strengthened Partnerships, Strategic Operations, and Hope 

**The data showcased here represents partial-year figures and should be considered preliminary. Final totals will be confirmed and released in the 2025 Annual Report.  As we begin reflecting on 2025, one message stands out across every region and every program: lasting change happens when organizations and partners link arms and move together.   This year, Our…
2 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories • Survivor Care

Operation El Pollito: Four Minors Rescued from Sexual Exploitation in Southern Lima 

Before dawn in southern Lima, coordinated teams moved quietly through the districts. Buses carrying dozens of Peruvian National Police officers arrived at their staging points for a critical operation, with logistical support provided by Our Rescue. What unfolded over the next several hours would interrupt an ongoing exploitation scheme linked to a local hotel—one in…
2 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

Monster of Chosica: Investigation in Peru Leads to the Rescue of Three Children and Arrest of One Man 

A Peruvian male was allegedly creating and sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) across multiple social media platforms. As authorities began examining the activity linked to these online accounts, investigators identified the individual behind the content. What they uncovered next suggested that the sexual exploitation was not just limited to the digital environment, but it was happening inside the suspect’s own home.  Investigators determined that three children…
1 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

Operation CODIGO RESCATE 318: Responding to a Critical Call for Help 

In Ecuador, a 16-year-old Venezuelan minor was allegedly being sex trafficked and exploited. The case began when local authorities received a troubling missing minor report and possible child exploitation through the 911 call center in Guayaquil.  That urgent reality set a multi-agency response into motion on October 25. The Our Rescue team in Ecuador supported Operation CODIGO RESCATE 318 alongside the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) Anti-Trafficking Unit (UNAT) and…
2 min read • Latin America • Mission Stories • News Media • Organization

Our Rescue LATAM Participates in the 8th Cybersecurity Seminar Organized by the Chilean Investigative Police 

In October 2025, the Our Rescue LATAM team in Chile, participated in the 8th International Cybersecurity Seminar organized by the Chilean Investigative Police (PDI).   The event brought together experts and representatives from the academic, law enforcement, military, technological, and private sectors to address current challenges in cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime in Chile and around the world.   During both days,…
3 min read • Asia • Europe • Field Operations • Field Operations • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories

Operation Global Impact 2025: A Major Step Forward in the Fight Against Sex Trafficking 

Operation Global Impact (OGI) 2025 was a groundbreaking international effort, bringing together law enforcement agencies and Our Rescue teams across three regions to tackle sex trafficking and child exploitation. In October, the operation concluded, and the final numbers are now in:  338 survivors rescued, including 74 children  243 individuals arrested,…
2 min read • Asia • Europe • Field Operations • Field Operations • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories • Survivor Care • Survivor Care • Survivor Care

Operation Global Impact 2025 (OGI) Update

Operation Global Impact (OGI) 2025 continues to make remarkable progress across Latin America, Asia, and Europe, with 212 arrests, 140 adults rescued, and 69 children rescued in less than three months. Thanks to the dedication of our in-country teams and your ongoing support, we are helping law enforcement bring traffickers…
4 min read • Field Operations • Latin America • Mission Stories • Survivor Care

2-Year-Old Girl Rescued in Chile from Sexual Exploitation  

Operation Global Impact 2025 (OGI) Update from Latin America   Operation Global Impact 2025 has been a tremendous success in Latin America, with 84 arrests and 48 minors rescued in less than three months. Our teams on the ground continue working tirelessly to put your donations to work in the field—supporting…
2 min read • Field Operations • Operations • Survivor Care

Two Teenage Girls Rescued in Quito, Ecuador During Operation Global Impact 2025 

In Ecuador, a 17-year-old girl was missing from her hometown after she was falsely promised a job by suspicious men. What seemed like an opportunity quickly became a trap, and she was forced into sexual exploitation. Her case sparked an investigation that would lead to the rescue of two teenage…
4 min read • Field Operations • Field Operations • Mission Stories

Operation Global Impact 2025 – FIRST UPDATE

Operation Global Impact 2025 is underway and multiple law enforcement actions have already taken place in the Latin America and Asia regions, with many more to come.  In total, 33 law enforcement actions have been carried out since Operation Global Impact 2025 began in August. The results? 47 suspects have…
1 min read • Field Operations

Coordinated Prison Raid in Ecuador Uncovers Disturbing Crimes

He promised children free video games. What they got instead was exploitation. In Ecuador, a 24-year-old man, barely three weeks into a prison sentence for gender-based violence, is the alleged suspect in a disturbing case of child sexual exploitation that investigators say began in a neighborhood cyber café and continued…
1 min read • Field Operations

Nine Women Rescued from Trafficking in Panama, 2 Men Arrested

In Panama, two men were smuggling nine Iranian women from Panama City to the Costa Rican border. However, instead of safely transporting the women, the men forced them into sexual exploitation, telling them it was to pay for their transportation costs, trapping them in a nightmare far from home. The…
1 min read • Field Operations

From Rescue to Reunion: Survivor Returns Home to Bolivia  

On June 21, 2025, a Bolivian human trafficking survivor was safely repatriated from Lima, Peru to her hometown of Cochabamba, Bolivia thanks to the combined efforts of Our Rescue, the Peruvian Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Lima Region, and the Bolivian Consulate in Lima.   This survivor had endured significant trauma…
2 min read • Field Operations

Operation Gran Guardian 02: Six-Month Investigation Leads to Arrest for Child Sexual Abuse Material 

In one of Ecuador’s most volatile urban zones, where the threat of organized crime looms heavy and law enforcement presence is often met with resistance, a joint operation was quietly set in motion. It was the culmination of a six-month investigation, one that would lead police deep into Monte Sinai,…
1 min read • Field Operations

Six Arrested, 1 Survivor Rescued in Spain During Cross-Border Human Trafficking Crackdown 

A young Panamanian woman, lured with false promises of work, was trafficked to Spain and forced into sexual exploitation. Criminal elements in Colombia, Spain, and Panama were working together to recruit and transport women for this purpose, and she fell prey to their international network. Her freedom stripped, her documents…
1 min read • Survivor Care

Eight-Year-Old Peruvian Survivor Confronts Possibility of HIV Infection After Sexual Abuse 

This time of year, most kids are enjoying fun days with friends and family. But for an eight-year-old girl in Lima, Peru, the month of June included being tested for HIV, after she survived the horrors of sexual abuse and having it recorded and distributed on the internet as child…
2 min read • Field Operations

Two Provinces. One Day. A Race to Rescue Children in Ecuador 

6-year-old girl and 8-year-old brother rescued, half-brother arrested  At the beginning of the year, Ecuadorian authorities were handed a disturbing lead: a thumb drive found abandoned on a bus near the Amazon region, which contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The team urgently needed to locate the survivors and put…
2 min read • Field Operations

From Prosecution to Urgent Survivor Care: 12-Year-Old Boy Rescued in Peru 

After three years of sexual abuse, a twelve-year-old Peruvian boy had completely withdrawn from his regular routine. Sinking into a deep depression, he rarely left the house and stopped attending school.   The perpetrator? A twenty-seven-year-old man who had befriended the boys’ family after he began working construction in the rural…
1 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue Peru and Ecuador Teams Reach Across Borders to Help in Child Trafficking Case 

It wasn’t long after a fourteen-year-old Peruvian girl didn’t return home from the market that her family’s fears were confirmed: she had been kidnapped and trafficked. The Peruvian National Police began an investigation and identified her trafficker as a Peruvian national with a history of sexually abusing children. The abuser…
1 min read • Field Operations

Electronic Storage Detection K9s Sniff Out CSAM, Leading to Arrests in Ecuador 

During a string of recent successful operations in Ecuador to arrest perpetrators of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one of the most important partners was on scene to help secure justice. Along with provincial and national police, the State Attorney General and even U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, specially trained Our…
1 min read • Field Operations

Multi-Country Operation Dismantles Pedophile Platform: Bulgarian Cybercrime Directorate Helps Protect 39 Children

In March, Bulgarian law enforcement delivered a powerful blow to online child exploitationthrough a Europol-supported global crackdown on a major child sexual abuse material(CSAM) platform, Kidflix. With nearly two million users, Kidflix has become one of thelargest known platforms for CSAM. The General Directorate Combating Organized Crime’s (GDCOC) Cybercrime Directorateplayed…
1 min read • Field Operations

Operation Amanecer III: Our Rescue Assists in the Arrest of Children’s Music Teacher in Ecuador After a Decade on the Run  

A man in Latin America was wanted on charges of rape of minors and the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) since 2014. The suspected pedophile worked as a children’s music teacher, taking advantage of his trusted position with students to sexually exploit them. Despite his crimes and the…
2 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue Partners with Peruvian Authorities to Dismantle Sex Trafficking Network 

70 survivors identified and 7 suspects arrested in collaborative operation   The Peruvian town of Llacuabamba, nestled in the rugged Andean mountains, is far from any typical tourist route. Located a grueling 15-hour drive from the coastal city of Trujillo, it is separated by miles of barren terrain and challenging mountain…
2 min read • Field Operations

A Father’s Love Leads to Criminal Arrests and the Rescue of Eight Trafficking Survivors in Peru 

In January 2024, a desperate father pleaded with authorities in Peru to help him find and rescue his 17-year-old daughter, who had been kidnapped by a Venezuelan Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) and trafficked to a southern Peruvian coastal town for sexual exploitation.   To help with this lifesaving mission, the Peruvian…
1 min read • Field Operations

Suspect Arrested in Panama for Sexual Crimes Against a Minor 

This month, the DIJ Judicial Police Sexual Crimes Unit in Panama, supported by the Our Rescue team, successfully apprehended an adult male suspect for the sexual exploitation of a minor. The suspect, a cousin of the minor, had been allegedly abusing the fifteen-year-old girl for a period of two months.
1 min read • Survivor Care

12-year-old survivor in Latin America walks again

Alejandro is a 12-year-old boy in Latin America who was born with a severe disability and epilepsy, facing unimaginable challenges from the start. His condition from birth left him with limited mobility, and his early years were marked by both physical and emotional abuse. Devastatingly, Alejandro was also trafficked, which…
2 min read • Field Operations

OUR Rescue Supports Argentina’s Largest Operation Targeting Online Child Exploitation Networks 

Multi-city, multi-agency effort leads to 116 arrests and 70 survivors identified  SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 18, 2024 – On Nov. 12, 2024, the Buenos Aires Public Prosecutor’s Office, OUR Rescue and several other international law enforcement agencies and nonprofit organizations carried out “Operation Childhood Protection IV” – the Argentina’s largest…
1 min read • Field Operations

Operation Caged Birds

In the Caribbean, a sex trafficking investigation began after the Dominican Consulate received details that a woman was allegedly being held against her will and sex trafficked at an apartment by a known sex trafficking ring. AMERIPOL Colombia and the Dominican National Police (DNP) then got involved. At the request…
1 min read • Field Operations

Operation Beacon of Light

A South American man allegedly produced and distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of a 14-year-old. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline was the first to hear of this potential crime. With it being within their jurisdiction, the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) got involved. Unidad Contra La…
1 min read • Field Operations

Operation Amazon

In a tribe in the Amazon rainforest, a father and two uncles were allegedly sexually abusing six children. The Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) found out about the possible crimes in March 2024 when the children’s mother came forward to authorities. The ENP’s human trafficking unit then planned a rescue operation.
2 min read • Field Operations

International Law Enforcement Collaboration Leads to Arrest of Pediatrician in Ecuador for Child Sexual Exploitation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Utah-based OUR Rescue provided critical training, cyber tools, and K9 support to aid in arrest Quito, Ecuador – July 12, 2024 – On July 10, in partnership with teams from OUR Rescue and U.S. law enforcement, Ecuadorian authorities successfully apprehended a well-known pediatrician on charges of…
1 min read • Field Operations

Operation RIOMAR

In Spain, officials say that 14 women were being forced into commercial sex work after suspected traffickers used elderly caregiver job offers to lure the women to the country.  Traffickers reportedly forced the women to be available 24 hours a day and live in extremely unsanitary conditions. When they were…
Our Rescue Operator standing in front of computer.
1 min read • Field Operations

Operation Los Cabineros

In Peru, it has been reported that two men worked together to create and distribute Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) of boys between 8-10 years old.  One of the suspects operated an internet center on the first floor of his home. With video games available to be played, this gave…
4 min read • Field Operations

How Our Rescue Went Undercover In One Of The Largest Anti-Trafficking Operations In Dominican Republic History

Responding to a request for assistance from the Dominican government’s Specialized Anti-Trafficking Police (PETT), O.U.R. Operators went undercover to confirm the existence of multiple transnational trafficking rings. These networks were reportedly dedicated to recruiting young women, between 15-23 years of age, to be sexually exploited for financial gain.

Interested in Learning More About What You Can Do?

If you want to take action or understand how to combat human trafficking and child sexual exploitation, explore our comprehensive resources on what Our Rescue does. And if you're ready to make an immediate impact, your donation today helps provide critical support for rescue operations, survivor care, and prevention efforts.