A joint operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has resulted in the indictment of eight individuals with ties to the notorious Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang for their alleged involvement in a transnational commercial sex enterprise.
The indictment, unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee, charges the eight defendants with various offenses related to operating an illegal sex trafficking ring out of Nashville motels between July 2022 and March 2024.
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“The success of this operation to stop Tren de Aragua operating in our communities is a significant step forward in our ongoing battle against human trafficking and transnational organized crime,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud.
According to the indictment, the defendants recruited young women from impoverished areas in Venezuela and other South and Central American countries. The victims were then transported across the U.S. border and state lines to engage in commercial sex acts in Nashville.
The indictment alleges that the defendants used force, fraud, and coercion to compel the victims into prostitution, invoking their alleged ties to the TdA gang and its reputation for violence. They also imposed a coercive debt scheme on the victims, forcing them to continue engaging in commercial sex until their supposed debts were repaid.
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“This indictment demonstrates our commitment to stop human trafficking whenever and wherever we find it, and to hold those involved accountable,” said acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert E. McGuire.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
This operation involved extensive collaboration between various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Shelbyville Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, and other federal, state, and local partners.
“We will not allow TdA – or any criminal organization – to get a stronghold in Tennessee,” said TBI Director David Rausch.
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