Venezuelan nationals arrested for alleged human trafficking operation

• Eight Venezuelan nationals have been arrested for allegedly operating a human trafficking ring, forcing Hispanic women into prostitution. The group, two of whom have ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, is charged with conspiracy and sex trafficking.
• The victims were lured to the U.S. with false promises and intimidated into prostitution to pay off alleged debts.
• All defendants are in custody, with arrests made in Texas and Tennessee.

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Eight Venezuelan nationals have been arrested for allegedly running a human trafficking operation, acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Robert McGuire, announced.

Authorities say all of the individuals were in the country illegally. Two have ties to the Tren de Aragua gang.

McGuire announced a multi-count, multi-defendant indictment Tuesday, Feb. 11, stating that the eight individuals conspired to force Hispanic women into prostitution.

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants lured women from South America with the false promises of a better life,” McGuire said during a Tuesday news conference. “Once victims were here, far from home, the indictment describes how they were bullied –– bullied and intimidated to have sex with total strangers for illegal profits.”

McGuire said the defendants intimidated the women by leveraging their Tren de Aragua affiliation. They allegedly told the victims they had large amounts of debt that could only be paid back by committing prostitution.

McGuire announced that all defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution and conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises.

Three are charged with sex trafficking conspiracy, and one is charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal person.

All the defendants are behind bars. Some were arrested in Texas and others in Tennessee.

“Right now, our focus is on the criminal prosecution,” McGuire said. “We are focused on holding these offenders accountable. If they get deported –– if they get deported, is not really what we’re focused on right now. What we are focused on is holding these defendants accountable for the crimes that we’ve alleged they’ve committed in the indictment.”