Eight illegal immigrants from Venezuela have been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a multi-state sex trafficking ring related to the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, according to federal prosecutors.
According to a federal indictment for the eight arrested in Tennessee and Texas, the defendants reportedly recruited women from South America to the United States with promises of jobs and a better life, only to compel them into prostitution to pay off massive debts incurred in bringing them here.
At a press conference on Tuesday, the acting US attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee stated that victims were bullied, intimidated, and threatened to have sex with strangers while away from home.
According to the feds, some of the women were even detained with their children and immigration documents to ensure compliance.
The trafficking organization was led by a mother and son, Yilibeth Del Carmen Rivero-Del Caldera and Klebier Daniel Mota Rivero, according to the indictment.
According to the accusation, the pair’s main connection was Tren de Aragua (TdA), which they used to threaten victims if they failed to pay off their debts through sex labor.
According to officials, all eight individuals were in the United States illegally. The indictments revealed that Kleiber was also charged with possessing a Glock 9mm pistol, despite knowing that he was in the country unlawfully as an alien.
Caldera’s two other adult sons were also part of the group of eight individuals who were arrested. Five of them were apprehended in Tennessee, while the remaining three were taken into custody in Texas.
“We will not stand by and allow TdA or any criminal organization to get a stronghold in Tennessee,” David B. Rausch Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director, which was also involved in the investigation, told the press conference.
“They are not going to be here. They will not be allowed to commit crime here. We will hunt these bad actors down,” Rausch vowed.
“We will dismantle them, and we will work with every tool that we have under the law to hold these violent criminals absolutely accountable for my fellow Tennesseans.”