Three Cuban nationals released under the Biden administration were arrested during a human trafficking bust in Middle Tennessee.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the arrests on Tuesday, adding that the agency lodged immigration detainers against the three illegal immigrants.
ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations has targeted human traffickers nationwide this summer, especially with the ongoing FIFA World Cup games taking place in major cities across the country.
“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 helping hold criminal illegal aliens accountable for exploiting others.”
The Tennessee sting last month involved multiple agencies investigating human trafficking and prostitution in the Sumner County area and Hendersonville, Tenn., a northeastern suburb of Nashville.
Authorities arrested five men who were charged with promoting prostitution and booked into the Sumner County Jail. Investigators also identified nine potential human trafficking victims involved in prostitution, ICE said in a news release.
ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Nashville joined the operation on June 11-12, and the agency lodged detainers against the three Cubans: Alinson Guerrero-Ramirez, Bryan Duany Rodriguez-Pena and Lazaro Rodriguez-Santos. They were encountered by border agents and released into the United States under the Biden administration, ICE officials said.
Immigration detainers ask law enforcement agencies to notify ICE before releasing illegal immigrants back into the community or hold them up to 48 hours so ICE can take custody of them.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shared in a news release that investigators from several agencies conducted an operation “aimed at recovering victims of human trafficking in the Sumner County area.”
Rodriguez-Pena and Rodriguez-Santos gave addresses in Florida and Guerrero-Ramirez was reportedly living in La Vergne, Tennessee, about 20 miles southeast of Nashville. TBI did not include details of their immigration status following news of the arrests.
They had bonds set between $60,000 and $82,000, while two other men arrested had much higher bonds. Kasim Barnes, of Gallatin, Tenn., had a bond of $1 million. Christopher Torres, of Hendersonville, had a $750,000 bond.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation did not release many details on the scope of the alleged human trafficking, whether they used undercover agents, or how they were tipped off to the illegal activity.
According to ICE, records indicate Rodriguez-Pena illegally entered the United States on June 5, 2021. U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered him as part a group of 11 people who crossed the Rio Grande and were released by border officers.
In November 2021, a Border Patrol agent encountered Rodriguez-Santos near Yuma, Arizona.
Guerrero Ramirez first entered the U.S. illegally in 2023 at the Brownsville, Texas, port of entry. CBP issued Guerrero Ramirez a notice to appear and paroled him into the United States under the Biden administration’s catch-and-release policy, ICE officials said.
The operation, led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, involved special agents with the TBI Human Trafficking Unit, the Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force, the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, the Hendersonville Police Department, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, HSI Nashville and the Internal Revenue Service.
Those identified as possible victims were offered services through a local human trafficking victim service organization, TBI officials said.
In another sting last month, ICE announced HSI Kansas City led a multiagency operation to combat human trafficking leading up to World Cup games. The agency shared recordings of an undercover officer speaking with a man willing to pay for sex with a 15-year-old girl.
Federal agencies are hammering the message home on social media, sharing updates of various human trafficking operations.
“ICE HSI Kansas City special agents arrested 14 suspects, identified 9 human trafficking victims and rescued 8 missing children since the tournament began,” ICE shared on X earlier this week. “ICE HSI is a global leader in preventing human traffickers from profiting during major events like the #FIFAWorldCup2026 that can attract criminal networks seeking to exploit increased travel and commerce.”
ICE HSI Kansas City special agents arrested 14 suspects, identified 9 human trafficking victims and rescued 8 missing children since the tournament began.
⚽ICE HSI is a global leader in preventing human traffickers from profiting during major events like the #FIFAWorldCup2026… pic.twitter.com/Fyv0wkZp8u
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) July 12, 2026
In Kansas City, investigators targeted sexual predators seeking to exploit minors, as well as disrupt human trafficking networks operating in the region.
Law enforcement officers made multiple arrests and said electronic devices were seized for further forensic examination. The cases have been submitted for prosecutorial review.
Across the country, HSI investigators and law enforcement partners are working to protect vulnerable populations and identify and arrest those involved in human and sex trafficking.
“Strong partnerships are the foundation of our success in combating human trafficking,” said HSI Kansas City acting Special Agent in Charge Rick Sabatini. “Together, we are sending a clear message that exploitation will not be tolerated.”
