Spanish National Police have dismantled a criminal organization accused of trafficking and sexually exploiting Venezuelan women in Madrid, Tenerife and other parts of Spain, arresting 17 people and identifying 14 confirmed victims, authorities said. Investigators said the suspects allegedly posed as members of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua to intimidate victims and prevent them from leaving the network.
According to police, the network recruited economically vulnerable women in Venezuela with false promises and arranged their travel to Spain under the guise of tourism. Once in the country, the women were allegedly told they owed debts ranging from €7,000 to €9,000 for transportation and other expenses and were forced into prostitution to repay them.
