Nine Venezuelans plead guilty in Nashville sex trafficking scheme that lured migrant women with fake jobs: DOJ
Nine Venezuelans Plead Guilty in Nashville Sex Trafficking Case
Nine Venezuelans plead guilty in Nashville in a significant federal prosecution that exposed a sophisticated family-run sex trafficking ring. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, these Venezuelan nationals orchestrated a scheme that lured vulnerable migrant women from their homeland with promises of legitimate employment opportunities. Once the women arrived in the United States, they found themselves trapped in a web of debt and coercion, forced into commercial sex acts to repay inflated smuggling costs.
The trafficking operation, which operated primarily in the Nashville metropolitan area, targeted women in Venezuela who were seeking better economic prospects. Recruiters within the organization made contact with potential victims, offering them attractive job opportunities that would allow them to earn substantial income in America. The women were then smuggled across borders and transported to Tennessee, where they were subjected to the traffickers' control.
Methods of Control and Coercion
Prosecutors revealed that the traffickers employed multiple methods to maintain control over their victims. Once the women arrived in Nashville, they were informed that they owed substantial smuggling debts—amounts far exceeding what they had originally agreed to pay. These inflated debts could only be satisfied through commercial sex acts, effectively trapping the women in a cycle of exploitation.
When victims attempted to resist or escape, the traffickers responded with threats of violence not only against the women themselves but also against their family members who remained in Venezuela. This dual-threat strategy proved highly effective in preventing victims from seeking help or attempting to flee. Additionally, the traffickers collected a portion of the women's earnings while simultaneously working to recover their debts.
"Human smuggling and trafficking operations represent a dangerous convergence of exploitation and lawlessness," Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva stated in a formal announcement. "These perpetrators profited off human suffering while chipping away at the integrity of our border. These convictions show that protecting vulnerable individuals and securing our border are not competing goals."
Leadership and Investigation
Authorities identified Yilibeth Carmen Rivero-de Caldera and her son, Kleiver Daniel Mota Rivero, as the primary leaders of this trafficking operation. The mother-son duo enlisted numerous relatives and associates to help manage and expand the scheme across multiple locations. Ramon De Jesus Velasquez Martinez emerged as a key co-defendant in the case, playing an instrumental role in the day-to-day operations.
Investigators discovered that Rivero, Mota, and Velasquez Martinez utilized firearms and threats of violence to intimidate victims and prevent them from cooperating with law enforcement. Mota, in particular, cultivated an image of authority by claiming connections to a Venezuelan prison gang and openly discussing his prior homicide prison sentence in Venezuela. These claims served to discourage victims from resisting or attempting to leave the operation.
The comprehensive investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations in collaboration with the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and various other federal, state, and local agencies. This multi-agency approach ensured thorough evidence gathering and successful prosecution of all defendants involved in the scheme.
Eight of the nine defendants pleaded guilty to charges that carry maximum penalties of life imprisonment. The ninth defendant faces up to 20 years behind bars for his role in the trafficking operation. Sentencing proceedings are scheduled to begin during the week of November 16, when judges will determine appropriate punishments for each defendant based on their individual involvement and culpability.
Fox News Digital has contacted Homeland Security Investigations and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to obtain additional details about the case and its broader implications for migrant protection efforts in the region.