Based on the charges filed by the Unit against Criminal Structures and Special Cases of the Human Trafficking Prosecutor’s Office, the Court of First Instance with Specialized Jurisdiction in Crimes of Human Trafficking has decided to proceed to trial with two men and two women.

They are Silvia Lorena Jiménez Sánchez and Louis Estuardo Véliz Prera, charged with human trafficking, money laundering, and criminal association; Jennifer Paola Calderón Alvarado de Escobar, facing charges of human trafficking and criminal association, and Erick Ronaldo Salguero Esquivel charged with promoting, facilitating, and favoring prostitution.

According to investigations by the specialized unit, the four were part of the criminal structure «La Manzana,» allegedly led by Jiménez Sánchez, dedicated to the sexual exploitation of women in zones 10 and 13 of Guatemala City, operating under the guise of spas and beauty salons.

The criminal organization was dismantled on July 28, 2023, during search and seizure operations carried out in commemoration of the International Day against Human Trafficking.

Sentences

Further investigations revealed the involvement of Linda Berly Juárez Molina in this structure, who was sentenced on January 19 of this year for the crime of human trafficking.

A two-year prison sentence was also handed down to Roberto Carlos Quibajá Ramos, through a simplified procedure, for the crime of promoting, facilitating, and favoring prostitution. As part of restitution, he must make a donation of Q3,000 to the «Amor sin Fronteras» home.