Medellin strengthens its frontal fight against sexual and commercial exploitation of minors through coordinated actions in the territory and in cooperation with international agencies. To this end, Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga will be in the United States this Friday to hold high-level meetings with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the State Department and the FBI, to advance an international offensive against crimes of sexual and commercial exploitation of children and adolescents (CSEC).
The President will meet in the United States with HSI, FBI and the State Department to strengthen the binational fight against child sexual exploitation.
“We will travel at the invitation of the U.S. government and these agencies, basically to have high-level meetings and strengthen the three lines of work we have been doing, such as prevention of risk of sexual exploitation, investigation of crimes against minors and support for prosecution to ensure effective sanctions, both in Colombia and in the United States,” said Mayor Gutierrez Zuluaga.
In 2024 and so far in 2025, 47 arrests have been made for sexual and commercial exploitation of children and adolescents (CSEC), and 314 for sexual crimes.
The mayor’s agenda will begin on June 6 with a high-level meeting with authorities from HSI, DHS and the Department of State, which will seek to further strengthen cooperation and joint operational capacity to prevent, investigate and prosecute CSEC cases. On June 9, the President will hold a meeting with FBI representatives in Miami.
Additionally, during the weekend, he will participate in meetings with the head of the FBI office, his delegates of Criminal Groups and Counterterrorism, as well as with supervisors of investigative units against transnational organized crime, terrorism and crimes against children.
Currently, 14 foreign nationals are being investigated for sex crimes committed in Medellín and, at the end of June, the trial and sentencing of Stefan Correa and Hamzeh Anaswed, prosecuted for their participation in child sexual exploitation networks, will take place. This process represents an important milestone in the fight against these crimes and a strong message that there will be no impunity.
These actions are part of a comprehensive strategy of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín that prioritizes the protection of children and adolescents as a government red line. In 2024 and so far in 2025, 47 arrests have been made for CSEC, 314 for sexual crimes and 31 arrests of foreigners for these crimes. In addition, 82 tourist dwellings have been intervened and 78 temporary suspensions of economic activity have been applied for irregularities associated with child exploitation.
“There were many girls and boys who were victims of these sexual exploitation networks without anyone turning to look at them. The reality is that this is one of the worst crimes that can exist. They are depraved people who have abused our minors. In Medellín we made the decision to say no more. We want to eradicate this deplorable crime”, added the local president.
The Mayor’s Office of Medellin reiterates its call to citizens to report any situation that violates the integrity of minors. The protection of children is an unwavering commitment. In Medellín, there is no place for impunity.
While the international articulation advances, the city authorities continue to act with forcefulness. In commune 13 – San Javier, three men were captured for their alleged participation in the production and distribution of child pornography, in a case involving a 13 year old minor. According to the investigations, the subjects would have induced the victim to perform sexual acts recorded on video under false economic promises. The material was sold to a foreign citizen for between $4 million and $5 million, while the minor was offered $300,000. The captured persons remain under intramural detention.
Another relevant operation was carried out in the neighborhood Estación Villa, commune 10-La Candelaria, following a citizen alert. In a motel in the area, the authorities found three teenagers, two 14 years old and one 15 years old, victims of attempted sexual abuse. During the intervention, the following were captured
During the intervention, the manager of the establishment, alias ‘el Exótico’, was arrested for encouraging prostitution, as well as two adults implicated for violent sexual acts and demand for CSEC.
The minors were immediately protected and transferred to the CAIVAS unit to begin the process of restoration of rights. The establishment received a sanction of temporary closure for 10 days, while the judicial process advances.
“We are clear that we will go to the ultimate consequences in the strategy we have in the fight against sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. When we arrived at the Mayor’s Office we made the decision to make visible an issue that had been occurring with the utmost seriousness and where absolutely nothing was being done”, concluded the Mayor of Medellín.