The Ecuadorian Police reported this Thursday the capture of eight people for the alleged crime of illicit trafficking of migrants, fraud and use of false documentation, within the framework of the operation called “Gran Fénix 57”.
The operation was carried out through the Human Trafficking and Illegal Migrant Trafficking Investigation Unit (UNAT), in coordination with the Prosecutor’s Office and the United States Department of Justice.
After several months of investigation with the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) team of the US consulate in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil (southwest), the police managed to identify a “transnational organization dedicated to the crime of illicit trafficking of migrants, false documentation, fraud and usury”, the Police indicated in a statement.
You can also read: Brussels studies regulating the use of algorithms and Artificial Intelligence at work
He added that, through the exchange of information, it was established that this structure operated from the Ecuadorian cities of Quito, Guayaquil, Tulcán, Ambato and Puyo, and that its international links would be in Colombia, El Salvador and the United States.
The subjects “attracted those interested through different social networks that they used as a front for official accounts in the different immigration institutions of the United States, issuing supposed certificates in order to obtain work visas”, reads the document.
He added that those captured provided false documentation and fraudulently obtained 15,000 and 20,000 dollars.
In the operation, nine raids were carried out, in which Jhon M., Elver V., Cristhian V., Olguer P., Carolina R., Melani A., Luis M., and Fredi A. were captured.
During the raids, 20 mobile terminals, $3,000 in cash, 34 cartridges, and various documents were found.
