HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. — A multi-agency human trafficking operation in Sumner County resulted in the arrest of five men and the identification of nine possible trafficking victims, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The operation was conducted June 11 and 12 by 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, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Internal Revenue Service.
Investigators said the operation was focused on recovering victims of human trafficking and disrupting those involved in the commercial sex trade.
As a result of the operation, five men were arrested and charged with Promoting Prostitution. All were booked into the Sumner County Jail.
Those arrested were identified as:
- Duany Rodriguez-Pena, 27, of Cape Coral, Florida, whose bond was set at $80,000.
- Alinson Ramirez, 27, of La Vergne, Tennessee, whose bond was set at $60,000.
- Lazaro Rodriguez-Santos, 32, of Miami, Florida, whose bond was set at $82,000.
- Kasim Barnes, 45, of Gallatin, Tennessee, whose bond was set at $1 million.
- Christopher Torres, 27, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, whose bond was set at $750,000.
Authorities also identified nine individuals as possible victims of human trafficking during the operation.
Those individuals were offered assistance and support services through Thistle Farms, a Tennessee-based organization that provides services to survivors of trafficking and exploitation.
Two nonprofit organizations, Skull Games and Our Rescue, also assisted law enforcement personnel during the operation.
Officials emphasized that identifying and assisting victims remains a primary goal of human trafficking investigations and enforcement efforts.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Additional information about human trafficking awareness, prevention efforts, and resources is available through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s anti-human trafficking campaign at ITHasToStop.com.
