Publicado el 01 Agosto 2025
Relentless Pursuit: PM Leads Massive Crackdown on Human Trafficking Networks
Human trafficking is a serious crime and a violation of human rights. Therefore, the Public Ministry (PM) reaffirms that this crime has no place in our society. Combating it is an institutional priority.
During July, the month in which the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is commemorated, the Prosecutor’s Office Against Human Trafficking, together with its agencies and specialized units, carried out decisive actions focused on the investigation, prosecution, and sanctioning of this crime in all its forms.
These results were presented on Thursday at a press conference by Mrs. María Consuelo Porras Argueta, Attorney General of the Republic and Chief of the Public Ministry, accompanied by Mr. Ángel Pineda, Secretary General; Mr. Erick Schaeffer, First Deputy Secretary General; Mr. Dimas Jiménez y Jiménez, Metropolitan Regional Prosecutor; and Mrs. Nancy Paiz, Head of the Prosecutor’s Office Against Human Trafficking.
In her speech, Mrs. Porras stated:
“The Public Ministry will never tolerate human trafficking because it is not only a crime but a modern form of slavery that violates human dignity, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable: girls, boys, adolescents, women, and migrants, and represents a direct threat to the integrity of our society.”
She emphasized that during the month, concrete and strategic nationwide actions were coordinated to address this criminal phenomenon, “thanks to the specialized and committed work of the Prosecutor’s Office Against Human Trafficking.”
“These results are not the product of chance but of a sustained strategy based on technical investigations, the use of specialized tools such as CICELTI, and, above all, the courageous work of prosecutors who decisively confront organized crime networks,” she stressed.
Mrs. Porras also highlighted the international recognition awarded to the Public Ministry at the 2025 International Summit Against Human Trafficking, held under the motto “A United Front Against Organized Crime,” as evidence of Guatemala’s leadership in the region in combating this crime.
She called on institutions responsible for prevention and national security:
“We work every day to bring justice to every corner of the country. We have identified critical points, days, hours, and places where acts of violence occur. This information has been shared with the responsible authorities. There is no excuse not to act. The population demands and deserves concrete results.”
Mr. Pineda reiterated that Guatemala is facing a critical moment in security matters and that the Public Ministry has fulfilled its constitutional mandate to investigate crimes with firmness and results.
“Every time we intervene in a criminal case, it is because there has already been a victim. This means the State failed that person by not preventing the crime,” he stated.
Although prevention is not a legal function of the Public Ministry, it has assumed a proactive role by generating data, crime analysis, and institutional leadership. For example, the creation of the Delito Cero platform, which provides georeferenced information on zones, times, and crime patterns, is made available to security authorities.
“They have the data. They have the information. What there is not, is reaction,” Mr. Pineda pointed out.
Results
Metropolitan Regional Prosecutor Mr. Jiménez presented the results obtained between July 1 and 29:
- 144 search and seizure operations nationwide:
- 31 related to labor exploitation
- 74 related to sexual exploitation
- 37 related to child sexual exploitation
- 2 related to recruitment for trafficking purposes
- 25 victims rescued, 11 of whom were in Guatemala City
- 21 arrest warrants executed
- Closure of three properties used for illicit activities
- Seizure of key evidence such as cell phones, tablets, and other devices
- Confiscation of cash directly linked to exploitation networks
These results reflect the firm commitment of the Public Ministry to criminal investigation, due process, and victim protection, said Mr. Jiménez, who also called on the public to report these crimes at all national offices and through official channels.
Finally, Mrs. Paiz reported on operations carried out in the last 24 hours, which resulted in dismantling two criminal organizations:
- The Unit Against Criminal Structures coordinated Operation “DMS,” executing ten search warrants in Zones 14, 15, and 18 of Guatemala City and San José Pinula. Eight individuals were arrested for the crimes of human trafficking in the form of sexual exploitation, illicit association, and money laundering.
- The Prosecutor’s Office for the Western Region conducted 17 search warrants in San Pablo Jocopilas and San Antonio Suchitepéquez. Ten people were detained, eight of whom are linked to the criminal structure called “Los Tunecos,” a network of sexual exploitation connected through owners of clandestine centers.
The fight against human trafficking continues. The Public Ministry remains steadfast and committed, with a focus on comprehensive victim protection.
Guatemala, July 31, 2025