20 rescued, 144 arrested in major operation against child abuse in South America

LYON, France – An international operation targeting child sex offenders has led to 144 arrests and the protection of 20 victims in South America.

During Operation Orion International, 12 South American countries joined forces to combat the production, distribution and possession of online child sexual abuse and exploitation material, with a particular focus on the identification and rescue of victims.

As a result of the operation, carried out with the coordination and support of INTERPOL, 18 direct abusers were caught and 111 people were charged with possession and distribution of abuse material. Seven internationally wanted persons for child sex crimes, who were the subject of INTERPOL Red Notices, were also arrested as part of the crackdown.

The arrested individuals, mostly men, were between 14 and 86 years old and had diverse backgrounds. Their professions included: professor, graphic designer, security guard, mechanic, musician, journalist, psychologist and taxi driver.

Case studies: child victimms protected after years of abuse

In Argentina, local authorities had identified abusive material circulating on messaging applications. With INTERPOL’s support and additional data, authorities were able to identify and protect a nine-year-old victim who had been abused for at least six years.

In a separate case in Chile, police identified an offender who was sharing child abuse material in messaging groups. After his arrest, investigators analyzed the information they had seized and determined that the same person had also produced child abuse material at the scene of the arrest. This made it possible to identify and protect a 14-year-old girl, the daughter of the offender’s partner.

As part of Operation Orion International, participating countries were also asked to review existing Red Notices for child sex offenders suspected of being within their borders.

In one such case, Korean authorities had provided information about the operator of a website that shared child exploitation material. Thanks to cooperation between Korea and Ecuador, with coordination by INTERPOL, the individual was arrested.

Chile: Tackling the production and distribution of child abuse material online

Hardware seized in Argentina has opened up new avenues for investigation

Paraguay: 144 arrests made in international operation

Venezuela was one of twelve countries that participated in the operation

Arrests in Colombia as part of Operation Orion International

International cooperation throughout South America

The regional initiative, which ran from May to September 2024, was launched by INTERPOL following information from the Chilean Cybercrime Unit and the Buenos Aires Public Prosecutor’s Office, concerning investigations into the transnational distribution of child sexual abuse material via instant messaging applications.

INTERPOL’s Crimes Against Children unit analysed and consolidated this information, together with existing data, and then shared the intelligence with participating countries. A pre-operational meeting with prosecutors and investigators, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, established the roadmap for cross-border cooperation.

INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock said:

“This operation, and the harrowing cases it has uncovered, is yet another reminder that child abusers come from all walks of life. Thanks to this international effort, children who have been abused their entire lives are protected from further exploitation.

“INTERPOL will continue to work with all Member States in our ongoing and vital efforts to protect the most vulnerable members of society.”

In addition to joint international action, the operation required cooperation at the national level, across multiple states. It resulted in arrests and identification of victims in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The hardware seizures and evidence collected during Operation Orion International have opened up new avenues for investigation. More results will follow.

Participating countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.