Suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua are connected to over 100 criminal cases in Illinois and Indiana, NBC Chicago’s Vi Nguyen reports.
An alleged member of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua, who is believed to be involved in criminal acts in Chicago, was among those arrested in a sex trafficking investigation in Tennessee, authorities announced Monday.
Adelvis Rodriguez-Carmona, 30, was arrested by multiple agencies in Chattanooga on charges of patronizing prostitution; possession of marijuana, Xanax and cocaine for resale; and unlawful possession of a weapon.
"Investigative efforts confirmed Rodriguez-Carmona to be a known member of Tren de Aragua who is additionally suspected of committing violent crimes in Chicago and New York City," a release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations read.
Tren de Aragua is the largest criminal organization in Venezuela with more than 5,000 members. The transnational criminal organization has managed to spread its terror very quickly throughout South America, authorities have said.
Telemundo Chicago and NBC Chicago have reported on the gang's presence in the U.S. for months.
Rodriguez-Carmona was identified earlier this year following an arrest in the Chicago area. In February, he was arrested by Cicero police for multiple allegations, but was later released, officials said.
Then he was arrested a second time in March by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago and held in custody in Wisconsin "pending immigration removal proceedings."
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When he was released from custody in this case, however, remains unclear.
In his most recent arrest, police said they were involved in an "operation last week to disrupt the work of human sex traffickers in the Hamilton County area."
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In total, four people, including Rodriguez-Carmona, were arrested.
"During the operation, which involved the state’s Human Trafficking Task Force, authorities developed information leading to a local hotel where law enforcement encountered the individuals and confirmed them to be engaged in an illegal sex operation," the agencies involved said in a joint release.
As of Monday, Rodriguez-Carmona remained in custody at the Hamilton County Jail in Tennessee, where his bond was set at $125,000.
Others arrested in the investigation included Wilimar Herrera Guedez, charged with one count of prostitution; Rebeca De Los Juarez Lucena, charged with one count of prostitution; and Yidalbris Marcano Salas, charged with one count of prostitution, possession of marijuana, Xanax and crack cocaine for resale, and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon.
Police said their investigation remains ongoing.
