A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told The Tennessee Star on Wednesday that immigration authorities filed a detainer for Fidel Facundo Navarro-Lopez, one of the three men the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said on Monday were arrested in a Chattanooga human trafficking investigation.
Describing the defendant as a “criminal illegal alien from Guatemala,” the DHS spokesman told The Star that Navarro-Lopez was previously convicted for driving while under the influence of liquor.
The spokesman said Navarro-Lopez currently faces charges including “two counts of contributing to delinquency of a minor, felony sexual exploitation of a minor and human slavery or trafficking, driving under the influence of liquor, and compounding crime.”
The agency also indicated to The Star that Navarro-Lopez was first arrested in April 2021, when he illegally entered the United States near Sasabe, Arizona. Despite being apprehended, DHS said Navarro-Lopez “was later released by the Biden administration.”
“All of his claims will be heard by an immigration judge, and he will receive due process. This administration will not ignore the rule of law,” the spokesman told The Star. “Under President Trump and Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences.”
The spokesman stated, “Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S. We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you.”
The two other men arrested by law enforcement during the human trafficking operation were described by TBI as Chattanooga residents.
Dakota Neetz, who has been identified as a Tennessee chiropractor, is charged with one count of trafficking for a commercial sex act, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and one count of solicitation of a minor. Tommy Reed was also charged with one count of promoting prostitution.
In its press release, HCSO said one of the defendants had previously been deported.
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference published a report in January showing that more than 11,000 illegal aliens were charged or convicted of a crime in 2025. Of these cases, 145 involved sexual offenses, and 79 of those included minors.
Since President Donald Trump reentered the White House last year, ICE has deported over 18,500 illegal aliens from within Tennessee, which amounts to about 10 percent of the population estimated to live in the Volunteer State in 2023.
Last month, ICE reported that 120 illegal aliens were detained during an operation at a Memphis nightclub.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Fidel Facundo Navarro-Lopez” by Hamilton County Sheriff and “Illegal Immigrant Caravan is by Chief Patrol Agent – Tucson Sector.
