An international law enforcement operation coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has resulted in the arrest of 95 suspects accused of involvement in the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material across 17 countries in Latin America and Europe.
The operation, known as International Effort Confluencia, comprised four coordinated investigations conducted between March and September 2026. According to INTERPOL, authorities executed 127 search warrants and rescued a five-year-old child during the investigations.
The crackdown targeted criminal networks allegedly using messaging applications and cryptocurrency transactions to distribute, sell and profit from abusive content involving children. Investigators said these digital platforms were also being used to groom minors, coordinate abuse and connect individuals involved in the illegal trade.
INTERPOL disclosed that approximately 89 per cent of those arrested were male, while females accounted for the remaining 11 per cent. Evidence recovered during the operations could help investigators identify additional suspects and locate other children exposed to abuse.
One of the most disturbing cases emerged in Colombia, where police safeguarded a five-year-old victim and arrested the child’s parent, who was allegedly producing and selling abusive material online. INTERPOL’s Child Sexual Exploitation database helped investigators link multiple files involving the same child, including material dating back to when the victim was one year old.
Investigations in Ecuador uncovered more than 4,000 files containing child sexual abuse images, occupying approximately 15 gigabytes of data, on a suspect’s electronic devices. In Panama, police arrested the administrator of an online group allegedly used to distribute abusive material involving children. The group reportedly had more than 700 users.
In Argentina, authorities arrested a suspect accused of contacting more than 260 girls across different countries and attempting to sexually extort minors. The suspect allegedly demanded increasingly explicit images and videos, threatening victims who refused to comply.
Authorities in Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Spain also identified adolescents participating in several messaging groups where child sexual abuse material was being requested and distributed, highlighting the complex challenges facing investigators in tackling online exploitation.
INTERPOL Executive Director for Investigation Support, Stephen Fry, stressed the importance of international cooperation and collaboration with private-sector technology companies in combating the growing commercialisation of child sexual abuse online.
He warned that the repeated circulation of abusive images causes further harm to victims, adding that law enforcement agencies must respond more quickly as offenders operate across national borders.
The initiative received support from the European Union’s EL PACCTO 2.0 programme, the Human Dignity Foundation through INTERPOL’s Preventing the Cycle of Harm Programme, and regional law enforcement networks. INTERPOL said the seized evidence could lead to further investigations and additional child-protection interventions.
