Ensenada, Baja California, Thursday, March 5, 2026 – An international operation coordinated by INTERPOL rescued 65 minors who were victims of sexual abuse and arrested 60 alleged perpetrators in various countries across the Americas.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Eclipse,” was carried out between February 2025 and January 2026 with the participation of authorities from Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama, with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
According to official data, most of the victims were between 5 and 13 years old, and nearly 80% were girls, reflecting the serious impact of these crimes against minors. In addition to the rescues, authorities reviewed 57 international alerts, including red and blue notices, which led to the location and arrest of 12 more individuals, who are now facing extradition proceedings.
Cases in Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica led to the resolution of investigations that had stalled for over a decade, identifying victims and bringing perpetrators to justice. International authorities indicated that reopening old cases is key to dismantling abuse networks and preventing these crimes from recurring, emphasizing that cooperation between countries and intelligence sharing remain essential tools in combating online child exploitation.
Source: ensenadaencrisis
