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A Cuban citizen was arrested this weekend in Cancún, Mexico, alongside a man of Argentine nationality, both accused of operating a human trafficking network that deceived women with false job offers in the tourism sector in order to force them into prostitution, according to the Attorney General's Office of Quintana Roo.
Authorities identified the suspects as Elvia de Caridad «N», from Cuba, and Agustín «N», from Argentina, who were arrested on Saturday night during a police operation in the municipality of Benito Juárez, for their probable involvement in the crime of human trafficking in its form of third-party prostitution, according to a statement from the FGE.
The operation, carried out in coordination with the Navy, the National Guard, and the Municipal Police of Benito Juárez, included two search warrants at properties located on Sagitario Street, in the Residential Las Fuentes, Supermanzana 32, and in the Cibeles building, both situated in the municipality where Cancun lies.
In the operation, six women of different nationalities were rescued: two Mexicans, two Venezuelans, and two Paraguayans.
According to initial investigations, the alleged traffickers targeted women in vulnerable situations by promising them plane tickets, accommodation, and well-paying jobs in the tourism sector in Cancun. However, upon arriving in the city, they forced them to provide sexual services.
The individuals responsible created catalogs featuring photos of the alleged victims in lingerie, nude, and in suggestive poses, using pseudonyms and phone numbers to promote the services, which were priced between 1,500 and 7,000 Mexican pesos per service.
The distribution of money was unequal in practice: although 50% was formally allocated to the victims, they had to make additional payments for transportation, profile publication, and to cover the debt incurred for the journey from their places of origin, a mechanism that kept them trapped in the network.
The Prosecutor's Office detailed the role of each detained individual: Elvia de Caridad "N" served as the manager, telephone operator, and coordinator of sexual services; she managed the digital profiles and received a portion of the money generated from the victims, while Agustín "N" was responsible for collecting the money paid by the clients.
Among the evidence seized during the searches are notebooks with notes, video recording cameras, boxes of condoms, a payment terminal, cell phones, and a Chevrolet vehicle.
Both properties were sealed and are under the custody of the Prosecutor's Office, and the detainees were placed at the disposal of the Public Ministry to determine their legal situation within the established constitutional timeframe.
The rescued women were transferred to the facilities of the FGE to provide their corresponding statements. Meanwhile, investigations continue to determine if there are more victims or individuals involved in the network that was dismantled last Saturday.
This case follows a documented pattern in Quintana Roo. In April 2025, the authorities rescued nine Cuban women victims of trafficking in a bar in Benito Juárez, in an operation that resulted in the rescue of 16 victims in total.
The modus operandi is practically identical to that employed by Cristóbal Fernández Viamonte, a citizen with dual Cuban and Mexican nationality, extradited to Mexico from Colombia in March 2025 after being identified as the leader of a transnational network that lured Colombian women with fake job offers in hotels and clubs in Cancún and Mérida. His organization amassed a fortune exceeding 8 billion Colombian pesos.
In June 2025, another Cuban citizen identified as Yassel D'Angelo "N" was linked to a case in Cancun for human trafficking in the form of sexual exploitation, accused of forcing his 22-year-old partner to provide sexual services without giving her any money.
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