by Tom Pappert
The arrest of Yilibeth Rivero De Caldera for allegedly trafficking immigrant women into Tennessee and forcing them into prostitution, along with the subsequent rescue of at least 12 victims, was preceded by the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition and Mission America Foundation bringing attention to activities at the local hotels where De Caldera as potential sites of criminal activity, the groups told The Tennessee Star on Monday.
Aaron Spradlin (pictured above), who is the Chairman of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition and CEO of the Mission America Foundation, told The Star in a phone call that he’s known of suspected human trafficking activities happening at hotels where De Caldera operated since at least 2015.
Executive director Aaron Gulbransen, a former reporter for The Star, explained the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition previously informed state officials of suspected criminal activity at the hotels, and said the organization has been able to “amplify” Spradlin’s work by regularly sharing tips and insight with Tennessee lawmakers and law enforcement.
“I think in that particular case, we ended up with one of the victims getting away for a little bit and reaching out.” Spradlin, who was profiled by The Daily Wire in 2022 for his years of work fighting human trafficking in Tennessee, told The Star the victim contacted a sister organization of the Mission America Foundation, which in turn “brought that information to TBI,” who “put together the operation.”
“The light has been brightly shone on these areas,” Spradlin added to The Star, explaining stakeholders learned the men “weren’t going to let it go, and were going to keep chewing on that bone until somebody pays attention.” Gulbransen previously cited bills passed during the recent special legislative session, including legislation that required the TBI to release its first report on human trafficking in a decade.
Spradlin stressed his support for law enforcement, but told The Star authorities may be reticent to act against suspected human traffickers due to a perceived lack of support from partisan district attorneys.
“Why put your butt in a sling if you’re not going to be protected by the people that are supposed to prosecute,” Spradlin said, characterizing the mood of law enforcement. Of De Caldera’s arrest, he continued, “if that turned sideways, now you’re in a gun battle in the middle of a hotel. Would it look like SWAT just went in and shot a bunch of people because they were being shot at, and innocent people died?”
Gulbransen told The Star that Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk are among the “biggest” hindrances to law enforcement due to their alleged failure to adequately seek bail and prosecute alleged criminals.
To build cases neither Mulroy nor Funk could minimize, both men agreed Tennessee law enforcement needs more funding. Spradlin recommended Tennessee establish a new task force, mirrored after its Dangerous Drugs Task Force, which is able to secure additional funding by selling the personal belongings of convicted drug dealers, including vehicles and homes.
“This particular operation is bigger than Nashville,” Spradlin explained, adding that “somebody is the puppet master,” and such a task force could embark on the “long, drawn out, multi agency, multi state operation,” to address the root of the problem. Spradlin explained, “If you have a dedicated team out there doing this, building these cases off of small leads, working up to the head of the snake, you could replenish your operational supply with liquidating of assets of traffickers just like you do with the drug dealers.”
Emphasizing the importance of his work, Spradlin urged concerned citizens to provide suspicious activity law enforcement and watchdog groups, noting that Mission America Foundation regularly receives and pursues such tips from the public.
Still, Spradlin lamented, “People want to pretend it’s not here.” He added, “it just made front-page news.”
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to pappert.tom@proton.me.
Photo “Aaron Spradlin” by Aaron Spradlin.