Dominican authorities assist Belgium in dismantling alleged sex trafficking network

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic’s Public Ministry carried out 20 raids as part of an international investigation into an alleged human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and money laundering network, acting on a request from Belgian authorities.

The operation follows an investigation launched in June 2026 after Belgian police arrested Ana Mercedes Encarnación Mejía, Juana de Jesús Holguín, and other Dominican nationals accused of recruiting women from the Dominican Republic and Colombia for sexual exploitation in Belgium. Five victims were rescued during the operation.

According to investigators, the criminal organization generated significant profits through sexual exploitation and allegedly transferred part of those funds to the Dominican Republic, where they were invested in real estate and other transactions to conceal their illicit origin.

The raids, coordinated by the Attorney General’s Office with support from the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Money Laundering and the National Police, were carried out in Santo Domingo East, Santo Domingo West, the National District, and San Francisco de Macorís. Belgian and Dutch police officers participated as observers during the operations.

Deputy Attorney General Wilson Camacho said international cooperation is essential to combating transnational crimes such as human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and money laundering, reaffirming the Dominican Republic’s commitment to working with foreign authorities to dismantle organized criminal networks.