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U.S. and Colombia Reaffirm Partnership After 35 Arrests and Two Life Sentences

Officials said the Scottsdale meeting signals a commitment to continued joint prosecutions alongside expanded prevention through parental education.

Overview

  • Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona and Medellín’s mayor held a public event in Scottsdale to restate their binational cooperation on child sexual exploitation.
  • Law enforcement reported the partnership has produced 35 arrests over roughly the last 18 months targeting an online and cross-border child‑exploitation network.
  • Two Arizona men have been convicted and sentenced to life in prison for crimes against children in Medellín, a result prosecutors cited as evidence of cross‑border accountability.
  • Officials said dozens of additional investigations remain open and pledged to prosecute suspected offenders to the fullest extent of the law.
  • As part of the effort, DHS promoted its Know2Protect materials for parents and HSI framed the work as one node in a wider set of international partnerships aimed at spotting hidden online grooming that often happens inside homes.