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 which suspects targeted children online, lured them in, and exploited them.
As police entered and secured the hotel, Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Samai worked alongside officers during the search. Transported from Quito, Ecuador to Lima at the formal request of the Public Ministry, Samai worked on-scene to locate a cellular phone and a digital chip. These items were seized and submitted to the PNP Digital Forensic Laboratory for further analysis, supporting the broader investigation into the trafficking network.
At the hotel, four teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 were removed from the exploitative situation. One of the minors was seven weeks pregnant. The minors had been brought to the hotel for exploitation, with the suspected perpetrators coordinating sexual encounters with the knowledge, consent, and cooperation of the hotel managers.
Once authorities confirmed the children’s location, Our Rescue Survivor Care personnel stepped in and provided on-site support, including food and blankets, to stabilize them immediately after rescue. The adolescents come from peripheral districts where poverty and limited resources shaped their daily life, creating conditions traffickers exploit to identify, lure, and abuse vulnerable children. Authorities placed the children in the custody of Government of Peru officials and began arrangements to transfer them to specialized shelters for minors. Our Rescue continues coordinating with government partners to support survivor care services at the appropriate time.
The operation also helped authorities identify an 18-year-old Peruvian woman at a local hospital maternity ward as a survivor connected to the investigation. She had reportedly worked at the hotel for several years, had become pregnant, and was about to give birth. Confirming her situation marked another step in addressing the exploitation linked to the same suspects.
Police arrested three adult Peruvian nationals for human trafficking. Among them, authorities took into custody a former non-commissioned officer of the Peruvian Air Force, who allegedly sexually exploited minors and produced child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Investigators say he recruited the children through social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram. The Peruvian Air Force later clarified that his alleged actions do not represent the institution.
Authorities continue working to identify all individuals impacted and to hold those responsible accountable under Peruvian law. Our Rescue remains engaged alongside law enforcement and government partners, supporting both investigative efforts and survivor-centered responses as the case moves forward.
