Law enforcement agencies from more than 12 countries have arrested 20 people in a major global operation against child sexual abuse material (CSAM) shared online.
The investigation started in late 2024 when Spanish police found several messaging groups where child exploitation images were being shared. They identified 88 suspects across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania and quickly informed global police agencies like INTERPOL and Europol.
In December 2024, Spanish investigators traveled to Chile to share details of the case, called Operation Vibora, at a meeting with experts from Latin America. This helped countries work together and carry out coordinated arrests.
As part of the operation, Spanish police arrested seven people, including a teacher accused of sharing abuse material and a healthcare worker who allegedly paid minors in Eastern Europe for such content. Authorities also seized phones, computers, and other digital devices.
INTERPOL helped arrest 10 more suspects in Latin America, including three in El Salvador and one teacher in Panama. More arrests were made in Europe and the United States.
This operation follows several other major crackdowns on online CSAM:
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- In early 2025, a German-led investigation shut down “Kidflix,” a major CSAM platform on the dark web. This operation, called Operation Stream, led to 79 arrests and the seizure of over 3,000 electronic devices.
- In February 2025, police from 19 countries arrested 25 people connected to an international ring distributing AI-generated CSAM. Investigators also found 273 suspects linked to the network and seized 173 devices.
- Last year, cybersecurity firm Insikt Group used leaked malware logs from the dark web to identify thousands of people who were downloading or sharing child abuse material. This information was shared with law enforcement to help track down offenders.
Authorities say these global efforts are crucial to fighting the growing threat of child exploitation online.
