When we launched Operation Global Impact 2025 last fall, we knew the six-week surge would move quickly. Within days of the launch, teams were on the ground in Latin America, Europe, and Asia, working alongside local law enforcement in pursuit of human traffickers across ten countries.
Within the first two weeks, Global Impact was already driving results. At the time of our first public update, the operation resulted in 33 law enforcement actions, 47 arrests, and 24 children who had been brought to safety.
Operation Global Impact was so successful that there will always be more stories, more results, worth sharing. Every press release and every social post captured a moment. And behind each number we shared were dozens of case files, survivor care plans, and quiet acts of coordination that never became a headline. As we mark this special one-year anniversary, we wanted to go back in time and bring to light some of the stories we didn’t have a chance to tell. We’re sharing these stories not because they’re the “biggest” or because they “made headline news,” but because these stories are a few of the many that have stayed with our team and have left an imprint on our memory as an organization.
She Spoke Up. Justice Came Next. Child Exploitation Arrest in Ecuador
Disclosure often begins with a handful of words that take a tremendous amount of courage for a survivor to say:
“I need to tell you something.”
On September 18, 2025, a 14-year-old girl in Babahoyo, Ecuador, said those words to her parents, sharing a secret she had been guarding. She told them about the physical abuse and exploitation she experienced. Her parents immediately filed a police report and the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) Sexual Integrity Crimes Unit (UNCIS) responded with urgency, requesting support from Our Rescue to help move the case forward without delay.
The survivor’s voice mattered. It was heard, believed, and acted on. Thanks to her courage and the swift and coordinated response from law enforcement and Our Rescue, one more offender is now held accountable.
That response took shape as Operation Código Rescate 247, one of many operations that were conducted under Operation Global Impact 2025 by UNCIS, the Attorney General’s Office (FGE), and Our Rescue’s Latin American Team in Ecuador. The operation resulted in the arrest of an 18-year-old suspect on charges of child exploitation and hands-on abuse. Support from Our Rescue included resources like OSINT facial recognition technology that helped identify and apprehend the suspect, fuel for transporting UNCIS agents, and even office repairs including an air conditioning unit for the space where investigators worked.
Five days later, in another part of Ecuador, a different kind of courage would be needed – this time from investigators, not a survivor.
A Daughter Safe, A Father Held Accountable: Child Sexual Abuse Case in Loja, Ecuador
She was only thirteen years old. The girl at the center of this case had just become a teenager, and her abuser was the person meant to love, care for, and protect her the most: her own father. On September 23, 2025, Our Rescue’s Latin American Team in Ecuador supported Operation Código Rescate CCLIV, part of Operation Global Impact 2025, working alongside the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) Anti-Trafficking Unit (UNAT) and the Attorney General’s Office (FGE). Together, the coordinated effort secured an arrest of the suspected father for child exploitation and sexual abuse, bringing his daughter to safety. Our Rescue supported UNAT agents on the ground in Loja, Ecuador, providing lodging, fuel, and meals as well as equipping the team with OSINT facial recognition technology that helped make this rescue possible.
ENP UNAT arrested the 37-year-old suspect and rescued the teenager, who is now receiving support with Our Rescue standing alongside UNAT in that effort. Investigators seized two electronic devices and several pieces of clothing as evidence that helped build a case that ensured justice for the child survivor and for her predator.
She is safe now. And because of the partnership between UNAT, FGE, and Our Rescue, one more predator will answer for what he did.
Not every case that week involved a rescue like this. Some began with patience and a threat hiding in plain sight.
Behind the Screen: Manipulation Uncovered, A Grooming and CSAM Arrest in Santiago, Chile
Exploitation is often disguised as trust that was never earned. On October 23, 2025, Our Rescue’s Latin American Team in Chile supported Operation Grumann, a coordinated action led by the Cybercrimes (CIBERMETRO) Investigations Police of Chile (PDI) in capital city Santiago.
The investigation confirmed what a 14-year-old girl had endured: a 31-year-old Peruvian national had manipulated and deceived her, eventually persuading her to send him sexually explicit images. He was arrested and now faces charges for sexual abuse and possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Two cell phones were also seized as evidence in the case which involved three consecutive search warrants.
Our Rescue’s local team provided technical assistance and logistical support for PDI agents, helping to ensure the safe and proper execution of this complex and sensitive mission. As a result of PDI’s CIBERMETRO investigation and Our Rescue’s support, a predator is no longer able to reach this survivor – or any other child – the same way again.
That same week in Peru, a much larger operation was already underway — one that would impact dozens of survivors all at once.
22 Women. One Night. A District Reclaimed: Sex Trafficking Raid in Lima, Peru
What took place on September 26-27, 2025, was a mega-operation involving the Peruvian National Police Directorate Against Human Trafficking (DIRCTPTIM), working together with the Special Operations Unit (SOAT) and Our Rescue against the gang “Los Enfermos de Lima Este (The Sick People of East Lima).
Nearly 70 police officers and a fleet of vans fanned out across four entertainment venues locations in the Ate District of East Lima. This carefully planned and executed operation broke open the criminal organization that had been carrying out illegal activities across the District.
Our Rescue provided two 20-passenger vans to transport officers to the area where all four sites were located.
Police raids confirmed venues were engaged in sexual exploitation, including the exploitation of a 17-year-old girl. This operation resulted in the arrest of five perpetrators and 22 women who had been victimized by the gang were brought to safety.
For the 17-year-old teen, her rescue is only the beginning. She received direct support from Our Rescue’s Survivor Care team in the way of food, emotional support, personal hygiene essentials, lodging, and access to treatment as she began her healing journey.
Not every case ends with a rescue this quickly. Some take months to even reach the point of an arrest. Some take even longer.
Trusted to Heal but Arrested for Harm: Physician Arrested in CSAM Investigation in Piura, Peru
“The support of Our Rescue is critical — without it, we would not have the means necessary to conduct these investigations.” That’s how Peruvian National Police (PNP) and Public Ministry officials in Piura describe the level of partnership behind the scenes of this case. On September 23, 2025, that partnership led to the arrest of a 65-year-old physician as part of a CSAM investigation carried out by the PNP Division of Human Trafficking Investigations, the Public Ministry’s Specialized Prosecutors Office, and Our Rescue. As a result of these coordinated efforts, three individuals were rescued: two minors and an 18-year-old who cooperated with prosecutors.
Investigators seized a substantial volume of CSAM, nearly all of it involving minor age children. Teams recovered electronic storage devices that included laptops, tablets, cell phones, cameras, hard drives, and other devices now undergoing forensic analysis. Our Rescue supported the forensic investigation with access to forensics tools and imaging, operated through Ecuador’s Digital Forensic Laboratory, to help identify any additional victims who had been captured in the illicit images and materials.
This case is part of a broader pattern in the Piura region, where a rising number of human trafficking and CSAM cases have opened the door to a deeper, more extensive partnership with Our Rescue. Local officials say Our Rescue’s support is essential to this work.
That kind of support may be visible at the time of an arrest, but it has begun months earlier, developing over time through partnership, coordination, and resource sharing. These are the efforts that can help keep investigations open when the funding has run out.
The Next Chapter
Finding the Children Behind the Evidence: CSAM Case in Lima and Chiclayo, Peru
An investigation was nearly closed due to lack of funding, and then it didn’t. In February 2025, a NCMEC CyberTipline referral led the Peruvian National Police’s Division of Cyber Protection Investigations (DIVCPI) to two men who were allegedly connected to the production and distribution of CSAM between the cities of Lima and Chiclayo. When resources ran out before the case could move forward, Our Rescue stepped in to fund the travel and logistics that enabled investigators to continue to pursue the lead. On October 6, 2025, DIVCPI, Peru’s Specialized Prosecutor’s Office, DHS Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Our Rescue carried out simultaneous search and arrest operations in both cities.
One suspect was arrested in Lima; the second, based in Chiclayo, remains a fugitive. During the search, investigators seized multiple electronic storage devices: cell phones, a laptop, and other devices that contained evidence critical to the case, including videos of children who have not yet been identified.
This is the moment when a donation becomes real: like the child survivor your donation helps bring to safety, it is not “just a number on a page.” The contributions of generous donors become plane tickets, rental cars, even the fuel in the gas tanks of vehicles that transport law enforcement to the operation and perpetrators to jail. Your financial commitment is the difference between a case that stalls and one that concludes in an arrest.
Thanks to your donation, Our Rescue can support PNP forensic investigators with access to facial recognition platforms that are key to generating leads that can finally give these children names.
Not every lead begins with a tip from a family member or a request from law enforcement for support. Some begin with just a single file that has been flagged and will take much longer to track down.
Metadata Trail Leads to Arrest: CSAM Investigation in Quito, Ecuador
Tracking a CyberTip can take months, if not years…and some will never translate to an arrest. Bringing predators to justice and victims to safety can entail tremendous amounts of investigative work, planning, time, and funding. A case in point: it took six months for Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) Cybercrimes Unit (CiberPOL) analysts to turn a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) into an arrest.
Operation GUAЯDI@N 16 / FÉNIX329 occurred on October 30, 2025, in the northern part of the City of Quito, led in coordination by CiberPOL and the Attorney General’s Office (FGE).
With support from Our Rescue’s Latin American Team in Ecuador and Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Samai, authorities followed a digital trail across metadata, IP addresses, and login records until it led to a 22-year-old Ecuadorian citizen accused of storing and distributing CSAM.
When it came time to act, this effort was prepped and fueled by a coordinated team of Ecuador’s Special Operations Group, Urban Police officers, and forensic investigators who executed the search warrant and recovered the evidence. ESD K9 Samai helped teams retrieve mobile devices, storage drives, computer towers, and more than 80 confirmed CSAM files. Samai’s detection skills proved critical to locating hidden electronic media that carried the proof investigators needed to put the perpetrator away.
The suspect is now in custody, but a name is still missing from this case: the name of the child depicted in the CSAM has yet to be discovered. That search is what CiberPOL and Our Rescue are focused on next. The digital trail that helps identify an offender should also help investigators locate the child who must be found.
At the end of Operation Global Impact 2025, multiple law enforcement agencies and Our Rescue had closed the six-week surge with not one case, but dozens of cases: identified, located, investigated, arrested, and brought to justice, all at once.
14 Warrants and 5 Arrests Lead 47 Women to Freedom. Human Trafficking Bust in Arica and Iquique, Chile
Human trafficking networks often operate from multiple locations. A law enforcement response that disrupts this kind of network often follows suit as is the case with Operation Esperanza Andina (Operation Andean Hope). On October 30, 2025, Our Rescue’s Latin American Team in Chile supported Operation Esperanza Andina, which was carefully planned and coordinated by the Chilean Investigative Police (PDI) Arica Trafficking Brigade (BITRAPACA) across the cities of Arica and Iquique. Our Rescue’s in-country team provided technical assistance, logistical support, and MREs to PDI agents across this complex, multi-location mission.
The operation expanded from a BITRAPACA Arica investigation into a larger criminal network investigation designed to uncover human trafficking and money laundering activities. This led to 14 judicial search-and-entry warrants across the municipalities. The results of one operation are impressive and demonstrate the power of partnership: five individuals were arrested on charges of human trafficking for sexual exploitation including three Bolivian nationals, one Venezuelan, and one Chilean. And forty-seven (47) Bolivian women were rescued, freed from a life entrenched in brutality. Investigators also seized firearms, ammunition, cash, cell phones, and documents tied to the case, all of which became potential evidence that would be key to the prosecution.
The survivors are now under the protection of the Prosecutor’s Office Victims Unit, with voluntary return home as a possibility while judicial proceedings unfold. These 47 women went from captivity to protection in a single coordinated night of operations, proof of what’s possible when investigative patience and cross-border partnerships come together.
Why These Stories Became Part of Our DNA
Operation Global Impact 2025 was designed as a concentrated, six-week surge. The results of this operation brought survivors to safety and connected them with the care they need to begin their healing journeys. The surge also brought perpetrators to justice, with prosecutions still underway. One year later, we still hear from our partners on the ground, who are following cases through the court systems of multiple Latin American countries. And still, we continue to find stories that haven’t yet been told.
By the time the surge concluded, the full numbers told their own story: 338 survivors rescued, including 74 children, and 243 individuals arrested and now facing charges. The cases described above represent a few of the many cases impacted by this operation.
We could publish an update every week for a year and still not capture all the efforts, coordination, and impact involved in this operation. So, as we reflect on Operation Global Impact 2025, we’re sharing a few of the many moments that stood out, a reminder of what your support has made possible. And this is a reminder, a preview, of how much more there is to be done. Operations in development today, some that will begin shortly.
Please help make the next surge possible. Join us in the Fight and support Our Rescue’s efforts to support those on the frontlines of the fight against human trafficking and child exploitation. Your donation helps enable local law enforcement around the world as we seek to turn numbers into names, victims into survivors, and perpetrators into people who can no longer do harm.
We are immensely grateful to supporters who helped make Operation Global Impact 2025 such a success. Thank you for taking a stand against human trafficking and child exploitation.
