BOGOTA, Colombia-Colombian authorities said on Thursday they have rescued more than 40 Venezuelan women from a "21st century sexual slavery" gang in which migrants are held and forced into prostitution.
The network captured women in the border city of Kakata and transported them to the capital, and officials said their documents were confiscated and they were forced to do sex work for 20 days to cover transportation costs.
Chief prosecutor Nesto Martinez said the women were only free for 15 minutes a day and would be fined if they came back late.
He added that the leader of the network signed a contract with a self-proclaimed doctor to have an abortion on pregnant women.
"It's absolutely mean," Martinez said . "
Human rights advocates expressed concern that human trafficking is becoming more and more common as Venezuelan migrants increase.
Local authorities say many women fleeing the economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela have been found in sexual work, often desperate to help struggling families.
According to the United Nations, there have been more than 3 million Venezuelan immigrants in recent years, and Colombia has received more immigrants than any other country.
Many people brought only one box of things when they arrived.
Martinez said the women could have been rescued more quickly, but an agent for the Colombian Immigration Service revealed the raid to the network.
He did not name the agent, but vowed to bring him to justice within 24 hours.
Bogota security minister giario Garcia said about half of the women were rescued in Bogota and the other half were still in Kuta.
He said many women were lured into the network with promises of food and money.
Garcia said they were promised that "everything will be fine. . .
When they arrived in Bogota their ID was taken away and they were locked up.
The women were treated as victims and received food and humanitarian assistance, he said.
Rescue operations were part of a larger operation in which 144 people were detained and at least one was accused of human trafficking.