Twenty people have been arrested across different nations in an international operation against child pornography led by Spanish police in collaboration with INTERPOL and Europol.
The arrests took place between March and May 2025 in 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.” read part of the statement
According to the interpol there were “follow-up sessions between authorities to align operational efforts with Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Paraguay.”
Spanish authorities arrested seven suspects, including a health care worker and a teacher.
The health care worker allegedly paid minors in Eastern Europe for explicit images, while the teacher is accused of possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material via various online platforms.
Authorities in Latin America arrested 10 suspects in seven countries, including three in El Salvador and a teacher in Panama.Desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets and digital storage devices were seized. A teacher was arrested in Panama.
The remaining suspects were arrested in other parts of Europe and the United States.
Searches carried out during the operation resulted in the seizure of desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets and digital storage devices.
So far, 68 additional suspects have been identified, and investigations are ongoing, with interpol saying information gathered during the operation has been shared with law enforcement authorities in 28 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
