A joint law enforcement operation in Sumner County led to the arrest of five men and the identification of nine potential human trafficking victims. The five men were charged with promoting prostitution and booked into the Sumner County Jail.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed immigration detainers on three of those arrested — Alinson Guerrero-Ramirez, Bryan Duany Rodriguez-Pena and Lazaro Rodriguez-Santos, all Cuban nationals who were in the United States illegally. The detainers request that local law enforcement agencies notify ICE before releasing the individuals so they can be transferred to federal custody. U.S. citizens, Kasim Barnes of Gallatin and Christopher Torres of Hendersonville were also arrested.
According to ICE, all three men entered the United States during the Biden administration and were later released into the country pending immigration proceedings.
Federal authorities said Duany Rodriguez-Pena was first encountered by Customs and Border Protection on June 5, 2021, after crossing the Rio Grande illegally with a group of 11 people. Rodriguez-Santos was encountered by Border Patrol agents near Yuma, Arizona, in November 2021. Guerrero-Ramirez entered the United States in 2023 through the Brownsville, Texas, port of entry and was later released into the country with a notice to appear in immigration court.
“Human trafficking is a cruel crime that exploits vulnerable people for profit,” acting ICE Director David J. Venturella said. “By working alongside our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, ICE is helping dismantle criminal organizations, protecting victims and holding those responsible accountable.”
The investigation was led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and included the TBI Human Trafficking Unit, Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force, Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, Hendersonville Police Department, 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations Nashville and the Internal Revenue Service.
The nine people identified as possible victims were offered support services through a local human trafficking victim assistance organization.
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