Murfreesboro Woman Arrested For Allegedly Spearheading Human Trafficking Ring In Nashville, Over A Dozen Victims Identified

Image Credit: TBI & Maria Charitou / CC

The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has announced that they are continuing to investigate a human trafficking ring in Middle Tennessee following the rescue of over a dozen victims just last week. 

According to a Dec. 15^th statement, this fall TBI agents learned about a 50-year-old woman named Yilibeth Rivero De Caldera or “Yibi” who was allegedly trafficking Hispanic immigrants for commercial sex in the Nashville area. 

Authorities discovered that De Caldera was providing financial resources for these Central and South American women to be able to immigrate. After this the TBI stated that she “levied the victims with a large debt and forced them to engage in commercial sex acts at local hotels to pay back the debt.”

De Caldera allegedly took most of the money and did not allow the women to leave their hotel rooms, reportedly keeping their immigration documents to make sure they stayed.

On Thursday, Dec. 14^th, TBI’s Human Trafficking Unit worked alongside the Nashville Police Department, the Murfreesboro Police Department, the Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI, the HSI, and the 16^th and 20^th Judicial District Attorneys General Offices to conduct an operation to rescue the victims. 

The operation took place at the Super 8 Motel on Murfreesboro Pike.

More than a dozen victims were identified and offered resources through nonprofits like Ancora TN, Thistle Farms, and Rescue One. TBI stated that seven of the women accepted help from these organizations.

De Caldera was originally arrested in Rutherford County. She has since been moved to Davidson County Jail where she is being charged with nine counts of Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act and being held on a $900,000 bond.

Her first court date is scheduled for the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 18^th, 2023.

“The investigation into this trafficking enterprise continues,” the TBI stated, “with the potential for additional arrests, charges, and victim identifications.”

If you have any information about De Caldera or the human trafficking ring, contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Tennessee has long been a hotspot for a variety of human trafficking crimes.

This successful TBI operation is one of multiple in recent months. 

In November, “Operation Not for Sale” resulted in the rescue of thirteen missing children who were deemed “at high risk for human trafficking victimization” in Memphis.

That same month, a two-day undercover operation in the Williamson County area resulted in the arrest of ten men charged with seeking commercial sex from minors.

Victims who need assistance are encouraged to contact the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-558-6484.

Additional information about Tennessee’s response to human trafficking and what warning signs to look for can be found at https://www.ithastostop.com/.

About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.