Eight illegal immigrants from Venezuela have been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a multi-state sex trafficking ring tied to the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, according to federal prosecutors.
The defendants allegedly lured women from South America to the US with promises of jobs and a better life — only to force them into prostitution to pay off huge debts from getting them into the country, according to a federal indictment for the eight arrested in Tennessee and Texas.
“Once the victims were here and far from home … they were bullied, intimidated and threatened to have sex with total strangers,” Robert McGuire, the acting United States attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.
The women lured in by the illegal immigrants “were bullied, intimidated and threatened to have sex with total strangers,” Robert McGuire, the acting United States attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, said. Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
FBI Houston agents arrest three people connected to a sex ring with Tren de Aragua connections. FBI Houston
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire addressing the media about an eight-person indictment in connection with the trafficking of Hispanic women for sex in Middle Tennessee. Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesSome of the women even had their kids and immigration documents taken to make sure they complied, the feds said.
The trafficking ring was spearheaded by a mother and son — Yilibeth Del Carmen Rivero-Del Caldera and Klebier Daniel Mota Rivero, according to the indictment.
The pair had the main connection to Tren de Aragua (TdA) — using it to threaten the victims if they refused to pay off their debts through sex work, the indictment alleges.
The indictment claimed the trafficking ring was lead by a mother and son — Yilibeth Del Carmen Rivero-Del Caldera and Klebier Daniel Mota Rivero. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
The mother and son had used their connection to Tren de Aragua to threaten the victims, the indictment alleged. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
All eight were in the US illegally, officials said. Kleiber was also charged with having a Glock 9mm pistol “knowing he was an alien illegally and unlawfully” in the US, the indictments said.
Caldera’s two other adult sons were also among the eight arrested, with five picked up in Tennessee and three others 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.
The defendants allegedly lured women from South America to the US with promises of jobs and a better life. FBI Houston“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.”
