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TBI: Four arrested in prostitution operation related to Venezuelan gang in Hamilton County

Staff photo by Ellen Gerst / From left, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch, Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett and Chattanooga Police Chief John Chambers discuss Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, at the sheriff's office on Monday.
Staff photo by Ellen Gerst / From left, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch, Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett and Chattanooga Police Chief John Chambers discuss Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, at the sheriff's office on Monday. Staff photo by Ellen Gerst / From left, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch, Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett and Chattanooga Police Chief John Chambers discuss Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, at the sheriff's office on Monday.

By Ellen Gerst 8 min read

The week after a state law enforcement leader raised flags about Venezuelan gang activity in Tennessee cities, four people were arrested in Hamilton County and face charges related to sex trafficking, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Three women and one man, Adelvis Rodriguez-Carmona, 30, were arrested, TBI Director David Rausch said during a news conference in Chattanooga on Monday.

Rodriguez-Carmona has been confirmed as a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, Rausch said, based on federal intelligence. He is charged with patronizing prostitution, drug and firearm possession, and is also suspected of committing violent crimes in Chicago and New York City, according to a news release from the TBI.

(READ MORE: Tennessee human trafficking report: More awareness likely causing more tips, experts say)

The arrests came after Rausch warned in a state budget hearing and on Fox News that the gang was operating in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga.