SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. — Yariel Cogco accompanied his mother into the Robertson County courthouse the morning of Nov. 19 to take care of a traffic ticket. An hour later, the 19-year-old college student stood on the sidewalk outside alone, blinking back tears.
“They took my mom,” he said.
Yanim Lopez, Cogco’s mother, was one of five people detained at the courthouse after answering a summons to appear at the regular Wednesday General Sessions Court “trooper docket” reserved for traffic offenses.
All five appeared before a judge and paid their fines before being ushered into a private room, out of view.
They reemerged about 15 minutes later, led single-file out the building’s front door by masked individuals in plain clothes who ignored a reporter’s question asking which agency employed them. All five, including Cogco’s mom, were restrained in leg shackles and handcuffs secured to chains around their waists. They were placed in a waiting white van.