Police in Trinidad have detained a businessman in connection with the alleged trafficking of Venezuelan women, including a 15-year-old girl, following an operation in Rio Claro.

The Ministry of Homeland Security said the arrest was made during a coordinated exercise by the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU), dubbed “Operation Purple Ryain,” conducted on March 7.

Ryan Mark, 42, a Trinidad and Tobago national, was detained under a Preventive Detention Order issued under the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2026, after officers executed a search warrant at a premises on Fraser Street.

Authorities said 11 individuals were found at the location. After initial screening, four were identified as victims of trafficking: a 15-year-old Venezuelan girl, a 17-year-old Venezuelan girl, a 27-year-old Venezuelan woman, and a 30-year-old Venezuelan woman, who is the mother of the minor.

Preliminary investigations indicated the victims had been subjected to prolonged and severe exploitation.

Officers observed signs of physical abuse, including visible marks of violence and branding, and said some victims may have been confined at the location for more than two years.

Two Venezuelan women remain at the Immigration Detention Centre as persons of interest, while four others — one Venezuelan man and three Venezuelan women — were handed over to Immigration Enforcement.

The rescued victims are receiving medical care, psychosocial support and other protective services, officials said.

The operation involved support from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force and the Special Investigations Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

Investigations are ongoing, with charges under the Trafficking in Persons Act expected.