A Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) soldier and two others have been detained as authorities investigate the alleged trafficking and sexual exploitation of a 17-year-old Venezuelan girl who was reportedly lured to Trinidad with promises of employment before being exploited across both islands.The Ministry of Homeland Security’s Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) yesterday described the arrests as a “major blow” to a human trafficking network, and one of its most significant intelligence-led operations to date. Deemed “Operation Iceberg”, the CTU says it was carried out over four days and is the first of its kind to have been done in Tobago.The CTU said its preliminary investigations indicated that the 17-year-old girl was deceived by what appeared to be a legitimate employment opportunity in Trinidad before she was sexually exploited. It said the girl at one point believed she had escaped her ordeal and would be given a chance to rebuild her life in Tobago before returning to Venezuela, but instead, the exploitation continued.The three suspects are currently detained under Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs) as investigations into their alleged involvement continue.The suspects include a 41-year-old TTDF member who was detained in St James on Wednesday. The CTU says he is being investigated for his alleged involvement in a human trafficking network, offences related to trafficking of children and sexual exploitation of a minor over a six-month period.On Friday, it said, a Venezuelan woman was arrested in Tobago and is being investigated for facilitation of sexual exploitation of a minor.Yesterday, a 38-year-old Signal Hill man was also arrested and is being investigated for trafficking of children and the sexual penetration of a minor. Police executed a search warrant at the Signal Hill man’s residence, finding three Venezuelan nationals aged 20 to 23. They also searched the Chill Out Bar in Milford Road, Tobago, finding five Latin American women between the ages of 22 to 44. All five were taken for processing by Immigration Enforcement, with two later being released.The CTU said the operation was done by officers from the Financial Investigations Branch, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Operations and Support, the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, Immigration Division, the Customs and Excise Division, the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, and other supporting agencies.Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, it said, commended the officers involved in the operation.“Operation Iceberg demonstrates that human trafficking is not simply a social issue, it is organised crime, and it will be treated as such. This operation reflects months of intelligence gathering, planning and collaboration among our law enforcement and national security agencies. I commend every officer who played a role in bringing this investigation to this stage. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago remains dedicated in its commitment to identifying victims, holding traffickers accountable and dismantling the criminal networks that seek to profit from the exploitation of vulnerable people,” he said.The CTU said the operation represented the unit’s commitment to ensuring that every community across the country benefits from its initiatives.It said that trafficking often begins with deception, fraudulent job offers, false promises of employment, online recruitment and misleading opportunities.Investigations into the ring remain ongoing, and charges under the Trafficking in Persons Act are expected, the CTU said.People can report suspected cases of human trafficking by contacting the Counter Trafficking Unit through its toll-free hotline—800-4CTU (4288); or via its WhatsApp reporting line—702-0467.