Two Mexican men have been detained and ordered to stand trial and multiple Mexican child victims are in the process of being identified and brought to safety, following international child protection investigations driven by Australian intelligence.
Queensland Police Service (QPS) Task Force Argos members provided detailed intelligence to AFP Liaison Officers based in Mexico about two separate cases of Mexican-based men allegedly selling child abuse material online.
The AFP in Mexico City worked closely with Mexico's Office of the Attorney General (FGR), through the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO), and with the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), to enable Mexican authorities to obtain judicial warrants for the two Mexican men.
On 7 April, 2026, investigators from the SSPC, FGR‑FEMDO, and the Secretariat of the Navy detained a man, 38, in the state of Yucatán, Mexico, after executing an arrest warrant and a search warrant at his residence.
Mexican authorities allege the man likely offered football training to groom and control children, whom he then allegedly sexually abused and recorded during the commission of the offences. It is further alleged that he subsequently sold the images and videos of the abuse online.
Additionally, according to investigations by Mexican authorities, the man is alleged to have exploited children for about a decade. He has been ordered to stand trial for his alleged involvement in the offence of aggravated human trafficking, namely inducing persons under 18 years of age to engage in sexual acts or acts of sexualised exhibitionism, (whether real or simulated), for the purpose of producing recorded material and deriving economic benefit from that exploitation.
Mexican authorities are in the process of identifying multiple child victims. The analysis of electronic devices seized during the execution of warrants is ongoing, with the objective of identifying as many child victims as possible.
This operation was carried out a few weeks after the SSPC and FGR-FEMDO detained another man, 31, in the state of Nayarit, in western Mexico, in March 2026. This followed allegations that he sexually abused children and subsequently sold images and videos of the offences through instant messaging platforms and the dark web.
The SSPC and FGR-FEMDO seized multiple mobile phones, computers and other computer equipment, hard drives and USB storage devices, as well as items of clothing and bedding from the suspect's premises.
One child has been brought to safety, and investigations are continuing into other potential child victims.
The man has been ordered to stand trial for alleged sexual offences committed against children, and the laying of additional charges has not been ruled out.
AFP Commander Americas Andrew Donoghue recognised the efforts of the Mexican authorities, particularly the FGR-FEMDO and the SSPC, for acting swiftly on intelligence identified by the QPS, which enabled the arrest of two alleged offenders and the protection of child victims from further harm.
"The strong relationships between the AFP and the QPS in Australia, as well as between AFP Liaison Officers and authorities in Mexico, have resulted in vulnerable children being protected from further harm and the arrest of alleged long‑term offenders," Commander Donoghue said.
"Child predators do not recognise borders, but law enforcement agencies will work together across the world to help keep children safe.
"The AFP will continue to support interjurisdictional investigations to protect children, no matter where in the world the children are located.
"We also want to send a clear message to any Australians who access child abuse material or believe they can remotely exploit children in Mexico or other countries in Latin America via the internet.
"The AFP and our state and federal partners have the capability to identify these horrendous crimes. We work closely with international agencies to identify those responsible and ensure safety for all children around the world."
QPS Crime Command Detective Superintendent Denzil Clark said investigators from the Argos Task Force were committed to targeting those offenders involved in the sexual exploitation of children and the possession or distribution of child abuse material.
"Every day, QPS Victim Identification team works to detect, locate and identify children from the abuse material traded online, children who, without this work, may never be found," Supt Clark said.
"Each of these files is evidence of a real child being abused, and every one of them matters. This is a borderless crime that requires relentless global action."
A spokesperson for SSPC and FGR-FEMDO said: "Children are our future; they deserve to live in a safe environment, and we will do everything within our reach to protect them from any harm".
"We maintain a long‑standing cooperative relationship with the Australian Federal Police, which has enabled us to combat a wide range of crimes that impact both our countries," the spokesperson said.
"We appreciate the support of the AFP and the Queensland Police Service in helping us protect Mexican children and in bringing offenders to justice."
