PDI Strikes Down Transnational Criminal Networks
Chile’s Investigative Police (PDI) carried out simultaneous operations this week, dismantling two transnational criminal organizations involved in human trafficking and drug trafficking. In the first case, three of the ten individuals charged in connection with a sex trafficking ring were remanded to pre-trial detention following formal hearings across several regions of the country.
The criminal organization, comprised of Paraguayan, Venezuelan, Argentine, and Chilean nationals, recruited women in Paraguay under the guise of false job opportunities. Victims were then trafficked to Chile—primarily to the cities of Valparaíso and Puerto Montt—where they were held in properties used for sexual exploitation.
According to the investigation, the women were subjected to the confiscation of their identity documents, arbitrary wage deductions, and the imposition of fines by the network. Sergio Castro, head of the PDI’s Robbery Investigation Brigade (Biro) in Puerto Montt, stated that the gang operated through a transnational structure that utilized front companies and straw men to launder and legitimize their illicit proceeds.
International Manhunt for 'Los Costeños' Leaders
On a separate front, the Arica Anti-Narcotics Brigade successfully captured two fugitives from the 'Los Costeños' gang in Colombia and Venezuela following a long-term investigation. Both men were subject to Interpol Red Notices and were wanted for their roles in smuggling drugs into northern Chile, an operation the group had been running since 2023.
Sub-prefect Juan Domingo Paillán García, the PDI’s police attaché in Colombia, confirmed that one of the suspects was apprehended in the Valle del Cauca region, while the organization's leader was arrested in Venezuela by the Scientific, Penal, and Criminal Investigation Corps (CICPC). "Through various investigative efforts and criminal analysis stemming from a long-term investigation by the Arica Anti-Narcotics Brigade, we successfully detained two individuals linked to the 'Los Costeños' criminal organization," Paillán García stated.
The investigation into 'Los Costeños' revealed that the gang imported large quantities of narcotics by sea, specifically offloading at Caleta Víctor. Furthermore, the criminals smuggled illicit substances overland through border crossings with Peru, using 'mules' who carried the drugs strapped to their bodies.
Following these international arrests, Chilean authorities have initiated formal extradition proceedings to bring both suspects to face justice in the country. Meanwhile, in the human trafficking case, the court has ordered pre-trial detention for the three identified ringleaders, while the remaining seven defendants remain under other precautionary measures.
