The U.S. Child Exploitation Tracking System played a key role in helping Costa Rican authorities arrest four suspects linked to an international child pornography network based in Brazil, officials said.

The Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) carried out the arrests with support from the U.S. Child Exploitation Tracking System, or CETS, a centralized database used to assist law enforcement in child exploitation investigations.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the system is owned and operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.

It compiles investigative information on internet-facilitated child sexual exploitation crimes, including the possession, distribution and production of exploitative images and videos, as well as cases involving child sex tourism.

Using information provided by the platform, OIJ’s cybercrime unit arrested a 36-year-old man identified by the last name Badilla and a 38-year-old woman identified as Castro on Tuesday. Authorities said both are suspected members of a criminal organization involved in distributing child pornography originating in Brazil.

The arrests took place at the suspects’ homes in the Pococí canton in Limón province.

Two additional suspects,  identified as Fonseca (37) and Gómez (41),  were arrested days earlier as part of the same operation. Authorities said they are also believed to be part of the same network.

During the raids, agents seized cellphones, documents and other electronic devices as evidence.

All four suspects were turned over to prosecutors in San José, where they are expected to be questioned and await a judge’s decision on possible pretrial measures. They are under investigation for alleged possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

Authorities said the case began in 2024, when investigators in Costa Rica received information suggesting that individuals in the country were connected to the criminal organization. After more than a year of investigation, officials were able to identify the suspects and carry out the arrests.

The Costa Rica operation was part of a broader international effort known as “International Allies for Children VI,” which involved 16 countries and led to the arrest of dozens of suspects in cases involving child sexual abuse, as well as the possession and distribution of child pornography.

Investigators said the international probe linked IP addresses associated with the suspects to the distribution of hundreds of files containing exploitative content.

The coordinated operation took place nearly simultaneously in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Spain, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

In Brazil, the main operation included more than 150 search warrants executed at homes and offices, resulting in the arrest of 16 people, according to that country’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

OIJ urged the public to report suspected child sexual abuse material by calling the 10-digit confidential hotline at 800-8000-645 or the rapid-response line at 1176. Both lines operate in English and Spanish.

The OIJ, a branch of the Supreme Court of Justice, is responsible for conducting criminal investigations nationwide.

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