Police dismantle transgender trafficking ring in Valencia, freeing nine South American victims
Spanish police have broken up a criminal gang that held nine transgender women from South America in a Valencia brothel, forcing them into prostitution and drug use.
A coordinated operation by Spain's Policía Nacional has dismantled an organised prostitution ring in Valencia, leading to the arrest of five people and the liberation of nine transgender victims.
The investigation
Detectives first identified the main suspect during a routine street check in late 2025. Officers found the man carrying multiple mobile phones and notebooks filled with entries relating to sexual services. The case was handed to the Brigada Provincial de Extranjería y Fronteras, which traced the activity back to a structured criminal network.
A hierarchical organisation
The gang operated with a clear division of labour. Some members took on management roles, while others controlled the daily running of the brothel, handled financial distributions, and placed internet adverts for sexual services. The economic investigation uncovered cash deposits, bank transfers and spending on adult content platforms, with accounts held in third-party names to hide the proceeds.
Victims kept under tight control
Nine transgender women, all from South American countries, were freed during the operation. Police say they were held against their will and made to offer sexual services, sometimes while under the influence of narcotics. They were subjected to strict movement controls and a system of fines that deepened their economic dependence and vulnerability.
Raid and seizures
Two properties were searched at the end of May 2026. Officers recovered cash, methamphetamine, cocaine, tusi (pink cocaine) and marijuana, together with precision scales, drug-packaging materials, electronic devices and handwritten records linking the sex trade and drug dealing. One of the flats was being used as the clandestine brothel where all nine victims were found.
Aftermath
The five detainees, four women and one man aged between 27 and 54, face charges of criminal association, coercive prostitution and drug trafficking. The investigation remains open and further arrests have not been ruled out.
