South American police dismantle multiple human‑trafficking networks

Police operations across several South American countries targeted criminal networks involved in drug smuggling, labor exploitation and sexual trafficking. In Rosario, Argentina, federal investigators arrested six people linked to a narcotrafficking cell, seizing cocaine, marijuana, weapons and cash. In Buenos Aires, Argentine authorities shut down a clandestine textile workshop, rescuing 16 workers subjected to forced labour and placing the operators under investigation for human‑trafficking. In Calama, Chile, prosecutors and the PDI dismantled a sexual‑exploitation ring that had captured women through false job offers; six Peruvian suspects were detained and ten women rescued, with large sums of cash and electronic‑payment devices seized. Colombian and Ecuadorian police held a joint awareness campaign at the Rumichoka border to warn travelers about trafficking tactics and strengthen controls. In the Balearic Islands, Spanish police closed a restaurant after uncovering labour violations and serious hygiene breaches. Chilean authorities also seized a French yacht operating illegal tourism in Magallanes, highlighting coordinated inter‑agency enforcement. The combined actions freed dozens of victims and underscore a regional push against trafficking and related organised crime.