ICE says 5 arrested in human trafficking sting in Sumner County, including 3 non-citizens

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported the arrests of five men, including three from Cuba that ICE says are undocumented. The agency said the arrests were made in connection with a human trafficking operation in Sumner County.

ICE announced the arrests on Tuesday. They were part of a joint operation involving multiple agencies investigating human trafficking and prostitution in Middle Tennessee.

The investigation revealed at least nine potential victims in Sumner County, according to ICE’s release. They were offered services through Thistle Farms, a human trafficking victim service organization. Skull Games and Our Rescue were also on-site to assist the victims.

The five men arrested in the bust were identified as:

• Duany Rodriguez-Pena (DOB 1/15/1999) – $80,000 bond.
• Alinson Ramirez (DOB 10/29/1998) – $60,000 bond.
• Lazaro Rodriguez-Santos (DOB 12/18/1993) – $82,000 bond.
• Kasim Barnes (DOB 2/24/1981) – $1,000,000 bond.
• Christopher Torres (DOB 1/18/1999) – $750,000 bond.

The release states that Pena and Santos entered the country without authorized documentation in 2021, while Ramirez reached the United States in 2023.

“Human trafficking is a cruel crime that exploits vulnerable people for profit,” said acting ICE Director David J. Venturella. “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 operation was led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Human Trafficking Unit and involved the Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force, the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, the Hendersonville Police Department, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations Nashville and the Internal Revenue Service.