What was Zona Divas? Details explored as Netflix drops Caught in the Web: The Murders Behind Zona Divas

El Soni, his partner El Tony, and a few other Argentinean women who worked in strip clubs created an illicit website called Zona Divas. Women were advertised as escorts on this URL. Operating as a mere escort listing service, it was an illegal and covert woman trafficking and prostitution operation, that was later revealed to the public.

The new Netflix true crime docu-series titled Caught in the Web: The Murders Behind Zona Divas delves deep into this illegal website's operation, which took some innocent lives and exploited many. This four-part docuseries arrived on Netflix on September 5, 2024.

The official synopsis for the same reads as -

"In Mexico City's dark underbelly, women seeking better lives become entangled in an online escort network, unaware it will lead to a series of femicides."

---

How did the Zona Divas operate?

As shown on Caught in the Web: The Murders Behind Zona Divas, users who wanted to advertise on Zona Divas first had to send an email to webmaster zonadivas.com. A few hours after sending the email, they would receive a reply that would ask for the interested persons' contact information, their pictures, and more details, after which if selected they were called to Mexico.

A professional picture shoot was arranged for the chosen candidates upon their arrival in Mexico. To make the images appear more flawless and appealing, the Divas' staff would take photos at a professional studio and then edit them. The models were able to start working as soon as these expertly taken pictures were posted on the website.

As per the show, once a woman was listed on the site, they had their profile and rankings. Their profiles revealed their pictures, height, and measurements. A contract also had to be signed before advertising on the site, which claimed that there was no se*ual trafficking and that the advertisement was just for publicity and everything was consensual.

For anyone wishing to use the services, the website was simple. After answering "yes" when asked if the user was of legal age upon joining the website, the user would be able to view the model profiles. Kenni Finol's seductive pictures were on the home page of the site. The fees that the females listed on the site had to pay for their listing varied based on which page they wanted to be featured on, as shown in Caught in the Web: The Murders Behind Zona Divas,

Interested clients could book an appointment and then check into a hotel room. Once inside, the Zona Diva were then informed after which they would arrive at the same hotel room. The prices varied depending on what kind of service the customer wanted and for how long.

---

The dark side of Zona Divas

As per the show, Zona Diva would first lure the girls, and bring them to Mexico after which their passports and documents were seized. As per the contract that these victims signed, they had to work for a minimum of three months. They also had to pay for their rent in Mexico, flight ticket charges, and other expenses, after which there was no money left for themselves.

Girls listed on the website, however, were unable to just disappear since they would frequently get death threats. In order to get their bans lifted and resume their jobs, those who were prohibited from the website were made to partake in drugs, have intercourse with strangers without protection, and even engage in violent carnal acts.

Reportedly, the site was shut down in 2018 after multiple women who featured on the site died. It was also labeled as a human trafficking ring. El Soni, the co-founder was also arrested in 2019 with human trafficking and exploitation charges, and in 2021, he was sentenced to 29 years in prison. However, in 2021, all the charges were removed and El Soni was set free.

---

To learn more about Zona Divas, watch Caught in the Web: The Murders Behind Zona Divas on Netflix.