The mother of dancer Ayelén Paleo was detained as part of an investigation into human trafficking. Her arrest took place in a residence in the City of Buenos Aires, after a series of operations that led to the rescue of 12 women in different provinces.
The case began in November 2024, when a victim reported that she had been deceived with the promise of a job as a cleaning staff member. Based on that report, investigators discovered that the network had connections in Bahía Blanca, Rosario, and Santa Rosa.
How the criminal organization operated
The method was always the same: women were given a phone whose number changed every ten days to prevent them from being located. They were also forced to pay $90,000 for a photo book that was later used on sexual offer websites. The criminals controlled the posts and received the messages to coordinate the meetings.
The victims were transported on long-distance buses every 10 or 15 days between the mentioned cities. If there were delays in payments, the women were threatened with death. According to the investigation, the amounts collected were funneled into Mercado Libre accounts and reached monthly figures between $5.6 million and nearly $7 million.
The raids and arrests
In total, at least 15 raids were carried out simultaneously with the participation of the La Pampa Police, Santa Fe Police, and City Police.
