Correa was arrested on April 19, 2024, at Miami International Airport as he was preparing to board a flight to Medellín. Nine cell phones were found in his luggage, containing 58 videos and more than 100 photographs of child abuse, as well as explicit conversations with local pimps in which he expressed interest in “virgins.” A search of one of the cell phones also revealed a text message exchange with a sex trafficker in Colombia, who Correa agreed to pay $300,000 Colombian pesos (the equivalent of $75 USD) to arrange for commercial sex with children who were 10 to 12 years old.

The evidence was gathered through an investigation led by the Transnational Homeland Security Investigations Group (TCIU – SIJIN DIPRO), the Attorney General’s Office, HSI, and with support from the Mayor’s Office of Medellín through Operation Hunter.

“This sexual predator will face a long prison sentence in his country for crimes committed in Medellín. The sentence is the result of Operation Hunter, an example of what can be achieved with intelligence, international cooperation, and, above all, the determination to combat this crime. This is a historic result, the product of a parallel investigation conducted in both Miami and our city. The capture and conviction of both ends of a criminal network, the sexual offender and the pimp were achieved in both countries. We will not allow Medellín to be seen as a destination for sexual crime,” stated Mayor Federico Gutiérrez.

“Predators such as Correa are a scourge upon humanity, and must be dealt with accordingly.” – US Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne

The investigation also led to the identification of six direct victims in Medellín, who provided valuable testimony during forensic interviews conducted by HSI in Colombia. The minors recounted how Correa, who called himself.
“Cris” offered them money, lodging, clothing, and electronic devices in exchange for sexual acts. Two women who were part of his network, Lina Marcela Velázquez Maldonado and María Camila Cuervo, were also arrested and convicted of pimping and sexual abuse of a child under 14 years of age.

“This conviction is just one step. We are making progress in criminal proceedings against Correa’s accomplices and will continue collaborating to capture all those involved. Our commitment is absolute: to protect our children. Many more arrests are coming, and the investigation continues,” the president stated.

Stefan Correa will be imprisoned in a United States prison. Meanwhile, in Colombia, a mirror investigation is progressing that could lead to new arrests and expand the judicial siege against those who facilitated these crimes. The Mayor’s Office of Medellín reiterates its unwavering commitment to the defense of children, effective international cooperation, and a zero-tolerance policy against the sexual exploitation of children.

“The United States of America will always seek to protect children near and far,” said US Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “This prosecution and this sentence should serve as a warning to any predator who is trying to travel through our district to prey on children. We will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. A life sentence for this conduct is entirely appropriate. Predators such as Correa are a scourge upon humanity, and must be dealt with accordingly,”  Hayden added.

“To the brave survivors, your courage was the driving force in this case, and I hope that the life sentence of this predator brings you some measure of justice and relief,” said Jose R. Figueroa, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami. “This investigation underscores the global and horrific nature of child sex trafficking and the importance of international cooperation to end it. I thank our federal and Colombian counterparts for their steadfast dedication and reiterate HSI’s continued commitment to holding those who prey on minors fully accountable,” Figueroa continued.

HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from HSI offices in Cleveland, Ohio, and Bogotá, Colombia, as well as US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  The Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, also provided critical assistance. Major Crimes Deputy Chief Assistant US Attorney Lauren Astigarraga prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by US Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat functions are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.

To report online child sexual exploitation, visit https://report.cybertip.org/ or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in partnership with HSI and other law enforcement agencies.

To learn more about the National Resource Hotline, visit https://www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the US Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Headline video credit: Law & Crime Network YouTube, Featured image credit: City of Medellín.

54-year-old Perdomo was detained February 19 at Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport based on an extradition request from the US Federal District Court for The Southern District of Florida. Perdomo was attempting to fly to Madrid, Spain, when captured by Colombian marshals.

The charges against Perdomo stem from 2004, when he convinced a woman in the US to collaborate with him on financing for a condominium. The two took out a loan for $950,000 but Perdomo absconded with the money, leaving the woman on the hook for the amount and victimized. The bank attached her assets and eventually filed criminal charges against Perdomo for bank and wire fraud.

Perdomo hailed from Neiva, Huila and was identified by the Huila publication La Nación as the son of well-known businessman José Joaquín Perdomo Martínez, aka “Pachelo,” who himself had been entangled in a kickback scandal involving another son, mayor of Neiva, Gustavo Penagos Perdomo and a firm called “Aseo Total” (Total Cleaning). The controversial mayor was assassinated in 1998.