Two Men with Alleged Ties to MS-13 Charged with Human Trafficking in the Greater Toronto Area: Police
Police say the suspects used intimidation and threats of violence to control the victim and profit from her exploitation.
- Peel Regional Police charged two men with alleged ties to MS-13 for human trafficking in the Greater Toronto Area following a months-long investigation dubbed Project Mermaid.
- In November 2025, investigators launched Project Mermaid after receiving allegations that a female victim was being trafficked and sexually exploited across the GTA. One suspect directed the operation from a Correctional Service of Canada institution using an unauthorized cellphone.
- Police executed four search warrants in Mississauga and Collingwood supporting the case against 42-year-old Marcos Ariel Marinoni and 30-year-old Carlos Gutierrez, both charged with trafficking in persons and advertising sexual services.
- Both suspects remain in custody, while investigators urge anyone with information to contact the Vice and Human Trafficking Unit as the investigation remains active and additional victims may not have come forward.
- MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, was designated a terrorist organization by the Canadian government in 2025, and Gutierrez is currently serving a 14-year sentence for attempted murder from a February 2023 case.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Two Men Allegedly Linked to MS-13 Charged in Southern Ontario Human Trafficking Case
Two suspected members of the transnational criminal organization MS-13 are facing human trafficking charges after police allege they trafficked and sexually exploited a victim across the Greater Toronto Area. The charges come as a result of a months-long investigation by Peel Regional Police known as Project Mermaid. The probe began last November when one of the suspects, who is currently serving a lengthy sentence at a Kingston, Ont., prison, a…
Cambridge Times
‘Threats of violence’: Notorious MS-13 member arrested for human trafficking while behind bars
Carlos Gutierrez, 30, of Toronto, along with another man has been charged with allegedly running a prostitution ring from behind bars.
Two men with alleged ties to MS-13 charged with human trafficking in the Greater Toronto Area: police
Two men allegedly associated with the notorious criminal organization MS-13 are facing charges after police say they trafficked and sexually exploited a victim throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
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