HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has announced the arrest of 14 individuals connected to a human trafficking ring uncovered through coordinated undercover operations in Hamilton County.
On August 19, TBI’s Human Trafficking Unit led a joint undercover operation in Cleveland, Tennessee, with the goal of identifying individuals attempting to engage in sex acts with minors and locating victims of human trafficking. Three individuals were arrested:
James Bedford, Clearwater, Florida
Pedro Garcia, Cleveland, Tennessee
Muhammad Ozair Khan, Chattanooga, Tennessee
A second operation took place on August 21 in Collegedale, resulting in 11 additional arrests:
Mustafa Awda, Houston, Texas
Juan Huerta, Ooltewah, Tennessee
Christopher Santana, Ringgold, Georgia
Andrew Hamar, Chattanooga, Tennessee
James Higdon, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Emerald House, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Monquel Hughes, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Alejandro Lopez, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Robert Campos, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tiffany Roberts, Chattanooga, Tennessee
These efforts were part of a larger operation conducted by TBI Special Agents, in collaboration with the Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force, FBI, Collegedale Police, Cleveland Police, Bradley County Sheriff’s Office, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the 10th and 11th Judicial District Attorneys’ Offices.
The operations are part of TBI’s ongoing commitment to disrupting human trafficking networks and protecting vulnerable individuals across Tennessee.
