Child Rescued from CSAM Studio on Colombian Border

Colombia is a geographic wonderland for organized crime groups, As the doorway to South America Colombia provides access to both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans with rugged terrain in between. Three major jungled mountain ranges break up the country creating a labyrinth of hideaways for clandestine labs, trafficking routes, and safe havens for radicalized guerrilla groups. The icing around the cake for these thugs are porous uncontrolled borders with Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela. Colombia has a long history of conflict between criminal groups and governments fighting for control and stability. Colombia's eastern neighbor Venezuela is a collapsed state wrapped in an ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis that hatched during the presidency of Hugo Chavez and worsened during the presidency of his successor Nicolas Maduro. Nearly 8 million people have fled the country, many of them across the border into Colombia. Criminal organizations are profiting from these migrant flows by preying on some of the worlds most vulnerable. Recently the Colombian National Police contacted the Children's International Rescue Foundation for investigative and logistical assistance in raiding a webcam studio on the Colombian/Venezuelan border discovered to be producing child sexual abuse material for sale online. The investigation and subsequent raid were a success, a Venezuelan minor captured at the border by this criminal organization was rescued from the studio, and firearms were recovered. 4 traffickers were taken into custody. The child is currently under the care and psychological treatment of the Colombian social and economic care facility. We are immensely grateful for our grassroots contributions which facilitated the rescue of this child and prevented future children from being exploited by this criminal organization. We continue to fight for the peace and security of children in Latin America.