Drug trafficking, money laundering, murder Major Interpol manhunt leads to 85 arrests worldwide
In a search operation coordinated by Interpol in Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, 85 internationally wanted criminals have been arrested.
29.12.2025, 17:29
SDA
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- A total of 85 wanted persons were arrested in 17 countries during a six-month international manhunt coordinated by Interpol.
- The suspects were wanted for murder, drug trafficking, crimes against children, rape, human trafficking and money laundering, among other things.
- The aim of the operation was to exchange information in real time to deal with particularly urgent cases as part of an EU-funded project.
Investigators from 17 countries worked together to identify the most dangerous fugitives in Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe who are wanted for violent crimes or links to transnational organized crime. This was announced by Interpol in Lyon. The six-month operation ran from June to November.
According to Interpol, 19 of those arrested were wanted for murder, 29 for drug trafficking, 28 for crimes against children and 7 for rape. Further arrests were made for human trafficking and money laundering, among other things.
In addition, 18 suspects have been located, Interpol announced. Further arrests are expected. The aim of the operation was to exchange information in real time and to process a total of 184 high-priority wanted cases.
One of Chile's most wanted women arrested
Among those arrested in Spain was a woman who, according to the announcement, is one of the most wanted people in Chile. She is said to have links to the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua. The woman is accused of fraud with cryptocurrencies amounting to around 150 million US dollars. The scam was used to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking and extortion in Chile, Colombia, Venezuela and on the Iberian Peninsula.
According to Interpol, authorities in Portugal arrested a Brazilian citizen who is suspected of being affiliated with the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) organization - one of the largest criminal organizations in Brazil, which is known for drug trafficking, money laundering and violent crime. According to the report, this interrupted a major cocaine smuggling corridor from São Paulo to Europe.
The operation was part of an ongoing EU project
According to the statement, an Albanian was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of disguising cocaine shipments from Ecuador as banana exports.
The operation was part of an EU-funded project aimed at establishing a permanent international network to track down fugitives. According to Interpol, it provides support with cybercrime analysis, forensic data exchange and a system for secure communication, among other things.