On Thursday, a joint human trafficking operation was conducted in partnership with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Human Trafficking Task Force, the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, and Collegedale Police Department. This operation was part of the FBI’s nationwide initiative, Operation Enduring Justice.
As a result of this coordinated effort, 11 individuals were arrested within the City of Collegedale and booked into the Hamilton County Jail for attempting to target and engage in sexual activity with children. HCSO detectives were involved in this operation as several of our personnel serve on federal taskforces, including the FBI and ATF.
Of those arrested, four individuals failed to meet the citizenship verification requirements under Tennessee Statute 40-7-125. They would subsequently have federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Holds placed on them and would later be officially released into ICE custody.
The names and charges of these four individuals are listed below:
Alejandro Lopez De La Cruz – Solicitation of a Minor and Patronizing Prostitution.
Smith Kanei Chaudhari – Solicitation of a Minor and Patronizing Prostitution.
Areal Ramos Reinoso (Robert Abraham Campos) _ Solicitation of a Minor and Patronizing Prostitution.
Mustafa Kamil Awda _ Solicitation of a Minor and Patronizing Prostitution.
“The arrest and later release of these four suspects to ICE underscores the critical importance of our partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies and highlights one of the many reasons why illegal immigration must be taken seriously in our Nation,” said Sheriff Austin Garrett. “As your Sheriff, I am committed to transparency, which is why I am sharing this information. These crimes specifically targeted children in our county and there is no crime more violent or disgusting than preying on a child.
“Rest assured, I will continue to use every available resource and partnership available to me, including federal taskforce partnerships, proactive investigations, and the 287(g) Program, to pursue predators under every applicable state law and assist our federal partners in holding them fully accountable. Let this investigation serve as a clear message: If you target and prey upon the children of Hamilton County, justice will find you.”
To report suspicious activity you believe could be related to human trafficking, please contact your local law enforcement agency or call the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-558- 6484. Tips can be submitted directly to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office either online at www.hcsheriff.gov/Tips or by using our Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office app.
