LYON, France – An international operation against the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, led by the Spanish National Police in collaboration with INTERPOL and Europol, has resulted in the arrest of 20 people across the Americas and Europe.
The operation was initiated by Spain in late 2024, when specialized officers carried out online patrols and identified instant messaging groups dedicated to the circulation of child sexual exploitation images.
As the investigation progressed, officers were able to fully identify the alleged perpetrators and alert authorities in the relevant countries through INTERPOL and Europol.
In December 2024, INTERPOL invited Spanish investigators to Chile to attend the Latin America Victim Identification Task Force meeting. There, they presented Operation Vibora to specialized officers from across Latin America, allowing them to exchange on cases, provide concrete leads and launch coordinated actions.
INTERPOL’s Crimes against Children unit facilitated follow-up sessions between authorities to align operational efforts with Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Paraguay. This included in-person meetings on the sidelines of the Specialists Group on Crimes Against Children conference in April 2025.
Arrests across 12 countries between March and May 2025
Spanish authorities arrested seven suspects, including a healthcare worker and a teacher. The healthcare worker allegedly paid minors from Eastern Europe for explicit images, while the teacher is accused of possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material via various online platforms.
Searches carried out during the operation resulted in the seizure of desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets and digital storage devices.
In Latin America, through INTERPOL’s support, authorities arrested 10 suspects across the seven target Latin American countries, including three in El Salvador and a teacher in Panama.
The remaining suspects were arrested elsewhere in Europe and the United States.
To date, 68 additional suspects have been identified and further investigations are underway globally. Information gathered during the operation has been shared with law enforcement authorities in 28 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
