NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Federal and Nashville officials announced the indictment Tuesday of eight people involved in a human trafficking operation in Middle Tennessee, connecting two of those individuals to a Venezuelan gang.
Those individuals were indicted in the U.S. District of Middle Tennessee on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for the purposes of prostitution from sex trafficking conspiracy. The indictment said those indicted in the case entered through the United States illegally.
As outlined in the indictment, a mother and son team who are accused of orchestrating the human trafficking ring consisted of Yilibeth Del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera (nicknamed Rivero) and Klevier Daniel Mota Rivero (Mota). They had the primary connection to Tren de Aragua — or TdA — a violent gang out of Venezuela.
Authorities said the crimes happened July 2022 and July 2024. The indictment stated that Rivero, her other children and their spouses rounded out the operation. Court records show that targeted women from Central and South America to offer them a better life in the United States. However, that proposition came at a cost for the women, who wound up being commercially sex trafficked in Murfreesboro and Nashville.
The defendants in the case advertised the commercial sex acts online with the victims, the indictment said.
"The trafficking of human beings is abhorrent. Our police department will make them a priority regardless of where a suspect is from," Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake said. "TdA is known to be violent and strong concern of mine since last year. We suspect TdA in our active and ongoing investigations into sex trafficking. It's a threat to public safety. We are determined to end a clear message that violent gang activity will be met with law enforcement response."
The group said they women had to pay off their debts for coming to the United States and those debts were incredibly high to the point where the women couldn't pay it — no matter what they did. They threatened the women to where they couldn't leave hotel rooms and hid their access to their immigration documents.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation got involved with the case through search warrants for the homes of Rivero and Mota, court documents stated. Those search warrants happened in conjunction with a recovery operation at two Nashville hotels.
Those in the human trafficking ring told victims to delete any evidence off their phones. While was police arrested Rivero the day of the search warrants, Mota wasn't tracked down until another year later with a victim's child.
"The message is that human trafficking is an abomination, and we will recover the survivors and stop it once and for," said Rob McGuire, Acting United States Attorney General for the Middle District of Tennessee. "We will do whatever it takes to save the lives of the victims we serve and whoever cause the suffering will be held accountable."
Who was arrested and their charges
- Yilibeth Del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera: charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises, sex trafficking conspiracy
- Klevier Daniel Mota Rivero: charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises, sex trafficking conspiracy, possession of a firearm by an illegal person
- Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca: charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises, sex trafficking conspiracy
- Willmarys Del Valle Manzano Solorzano: 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
- Endrik Alexander Morales-Rivero: 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
- Ariannys Beatriz Guiterrez-Carrillo: 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
- Frankyanna Del Valle Romero-Rivero: 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
- Jesus Enrique Castillo Rodriguez: 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
It takes a village! Hats off to the Wilson County Rotary clubs for investing in our kids in such a tangible way. Putting 100,000 books in the hands of little learners is something to celebrate. I love that they store the books in a bank vault — they truly are priceless!
-Carrie Sharp
