Two Venezuelan Survivors Escape Years of Human Trafficking in Peru
They left their home country of Venezuela with dreams creating a better life. Two young Venezuelan women arrived in Lima, Peru, looking for a chance to rebuild their lives in a new place, with new possibilities.
Instead, both were deceived by false promises, falling into the hands of ruthless criminal networks involved in human trafficking and sexual exploitation. For four and six years respectively, the women were controlled by traffickers and forced into sexual exploitation in different regions of Peru. Their lives were marked by fear and the constant looming threat of violence. Even their young children were used as a means of coercion.
Despite this, the women never stopped hoping for freedom.
Human Traffickers: Masters of Control
During their years of captivity, the women lived under constant surveillance. They were forced to hand over 600 Peruvian Soles (almost $180 USD) every week to the criminal organization controlling them, receiving only a small portion of the money generated through their exploitation.
In 2024, one of the women became pregnant and later gave birth to a child. During this difficult time, the two survivors formed a close bond. Together, they helped care for their children while enduring the horrors of parenting in captivity. And together, they waited quietly, patiently, for an opportunity to escape from their captors.
One of the women attempted to flee while being exploited in the region of Chincha, south of Lima. She was captured again by her traffickers and taken to the outskirts of the city. She believed it was where they were going to kill her. She later described this moment as “terrifying,” and said she thought, “This is where my life ends.”
Out of nowhere, two unknown motorcyclists appeared and confronted the man who had taken her. In the chaos that followed, the motorcyclists told her to run. Gunshots were fired, and she managed to escape unharmed.
But her freedom did not last long. The traffickers found her a third time and forced her back into captivity, claiming she still owed them a “debt” for bringing her to Peru.
The Moment Everything Changed
After nearly two years enduring exploitation together, the two women continued waiting for the moment their captors might make a mistake.
That opportunity arrived on Tuesday, March 4, 2026, when the traffickers created an opportunity for escape.
At the time, the women were being held in the District of San Juan de Lugrigancho. When the women realized the guards had left the house where they were being held, they seized their chance at freedom. With their two small children, ages two and five, they ran outside into the streets.
Shortly after, local police connected the women and their children with the Peruvian National Police (PNP), who directed them to the Directorate Against Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants (DIRCTPTIM), where the survivors bravely reported the years of abuse they had suffered under a criminal organization known as “The Black.” This organization is believed to be linked to the transnational criminal network known as El Tren de Aragua (TDA), which is notorious for human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and extreme violence.
The Peruvian National Police (PNP) immediately began coordinating law enforcement’s response and requested on-the-ground logistical support with transportation, given the urgent, time-sensitive operation.
The coordinated intervention resulted in the arrest of two Venezuelan nationals and one Peruvian national suspected of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Investigators also seized multiple mobile phones for digital forensic analysis.
Immediate Care for Survivors
Our Rescue also responded immediately to support the two survivors and their children, providing emergency assistance that including food, clothing, medical care, and safe temporary accommodation so the families could begin their healing journey.
In just a few days, the transformation was visible. The women, who had endured unspeakable crimes committed against them, gradually began to smile again as their children rested safely.
Our Rescue is now working with both the survivors and Peruvian authorities to help secure longer-term lodging and continued support for these women as they begin rebuilding their lives. The healing journey is not easy, but with support from Our Rescue, they will have access to professionals who understand the complexity of this difficult path ahead. It is now possible for these mothers to live with hope and pursue a better life for their children.
Support from donors like you help make this kind of field operation possible. These are complex, coordinated efforts and involve many moving parts. Your donation makes a difference in the lives of mothers who dream of a better life for their families. Join the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation—please donate today.
