Two foreigners suspected of labor exploitation of Venezuelan minors arrested in Costa Rica

Feng, a Chinese national, is listed as the administrator of the commercial establishments where the minors allegedly worked. Credit: Directorate of Migration and Foreign Affairs The Professional Migration Police of Costa Rica arrested in San Rafael de Alajuela a man surnamed Feng and a woman surnamed Wu, both investigated as suspects of human trafficking for labor exploitation to the detriment of two minors of Venezuelan nationality. The arrests were carried out in a public area and in front of one of the commercial establishments linked to the investigation, according to the Migration Police. Both suspects are of Chinese nationality. According to the police investigation, the victims would have been subjected to workdays exceeding 12 hours, without days of rest, without adequate time to eat, without financial compensation, and without medical coverage. The authorities also maintain that the suspects allegedly exercised mechanisms of control over the victims through the retention of personal documents, including their passports, as well as restrictions preventing them from leaving the homes and commercial establishments where they were kept. The investigation indicates that the case would have antecedents dating back to 2017, when Feng and Wu would have assumed the role of responsible adults or guarantors of the two Venezuelan minors. According to the version released by Migration, Feng would have later transferred the victims to a supermarket located in San Rafael de Alajuela, where they were assigned work duties. The man is also named in the investigation as the administrator of the commercial establishments where the activities allegedly took place. The Professional Migration Police arrested in San Rafael de Alajuela a man surnamed Feng and a woman surnamed Wu, suspects of human trafficking for labor exploitation. Credit: Directorate of Migration and Foreign Affairs The Professional Migration Police is investigating the events as a suspected case of human trafficking for labor exploitation. The authorities have not reported a conviction against the detainees so far, so Feng and Wu remain suspects within a criminal investigation and will have to face the corresponding stages of the judicial process. The case once again draws attention to a form of trafficking that does not necessarily involve sexual exploitation, but can also occur through abusive labor conditions accompanied by mechanisms of control, threats, isolation, or restriction of freedom. The Judiciary of Costa Rica defines trafficking for labor exploitation as a crime of public action and reminds that anyone can report suspicious situations to the authorities. In this case, Migration indicated that the conditions under investigation involved an alleged violation of the victims' fundamental rights, due to factors such as the extensive workdays, absence of pay, lack of rest, and the restrictions imposed on their movements. The Migration Police stated that the operation is part of the actions it carries out to combat the phenomenon of human trafficking and asked citizens to report any case in which exploitation is suspected. The authorities are investigating the alleged retention of the victims' passports as part of the mechanisms used to keep them under control. — credit: Embassy of Venezuela in Colombia Reports can be made confidentially through the 9-1-1 Emergency System or directly to the Investigations Unit of the Professional Migration Police. The authorities have also pointed out as possible warning signs the presence of people whose mobility is restricted, foreigners without control of their own documents, people permanently watched or transported by third parties, and workers whose conditions do not match an ordinary employment relationship. The operation carried out in Alajuela allowed the two suspects to be placed under investigation while the authorities continue with the proceedings to determine the circumstances under which the victims arrived in the country, the length of time they would have remained under those conditions, and the extent of the alleged exploitation.