Peru targets illegal mining networks fueling human trafficking in Madre de Dios and Puno

Peruvian authorities are confronting an expanding armed network of illegal mining in the Madre de Dios region, which has been linked to organized human‑trafficking operations. The illicit mining groups exploit remote jungle areas, facilitating the recruitment and movement of victims.

In the neighboring Puno region, poverty and lack of formal employment are driving young people into trafficking rings, according to Arturo Sánchez Justo, commissioner of the Defensoría del Pueblo of Puno. Traffickers promise easy, well‑paid jobs, luring vulnerable youth and, in some cases, children and adults into forced labor, sexual exploitation, and organ‑trafficking. The police and public prosecutor are investigating numerous disappearances tied to these networks, while urging preventive measures that address the underlying economic hardships.