Peru police rescue 123 women, girls from sexual exploitation
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Peruvian authorities rescue 123 women and girls from sexual exploitation at the hands of a notorious Venezuelan gang.
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Riot police look as anti-government protesters march in downtown Lima, Peru, on February 7, 2023. (AP)
Peruvian police have announced the rescue of 123 women and girls from sexual exploitation by a powerful Venezuelan gang.
The operation, which took place Friday night in Lima, involved hundreds of officers and led to the arrest of 23 alleged gang members.
Authorities confirmed that those rescued included three minors, all of whom were women and girls, according to a police source speaking to AFP.
The suspects belong to Los Hijos de Dios, a faction of Tren de Aragua, Venezuela's largest criminal organization, which has been active in Peru since 2021.
This is not the first time the group has been targeted; in January 2024, Peruvian police rescued 40 young girls being exploited through social networks by the same gang.
Tren de Aragua was established in 2014 in Venezuela's Aragua state but has since expanded its operations across South America, including Colombia, Peru, and Chile.
The gang has also caught the attention of US authorities.
Last year, President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportations, focusing on undocumented migrants he accused of violent crimes. He frequently singled out Tren de Aragua, labeling its members "animals" and "monsters."
On January 20, his first day in office, Trump declared a national emergency to address the gang’s alleged activities in the US. Just this week, Washington announced the deportation of 10 Tren de Aragua members to the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.
