The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HSCO) on Monday reported that a joint human trafficking investigation, conducted with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), resulted in three arrests, including an illegal alien from Honduras who was previously deported and a Tennessee chiropractor.
TBI first announced the results of the joint operation, which it described as undercover, and revealed it occurred on Friday and Saturday. According to the agency, which is the primary law enforcement entity in Tennessee for leading human trafficking investigations, the operation’s goal “was to identify individuals seeking to engage in sex acts with minors.”
Fidel Navarro Lopez, who was described as a citizen of Guatemala, was the first arrest announced by TBI. After removal, the United States can prohibit a person from returning to the country.
Navarro Lopez (pictured above) is charged with one count of trafficking for commercial sex act, two acts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, one count of solicitation of a minor, one count of resisting law enforcement, and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
In its press release, HSCO reported that one of the three men arrested “was previously deported.” TBI identified only Navarro Lopez as a foreign national.
The Tennessee Star contacted DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for additional information about Navarro Lopez but did not receive a response before press time.
One of the other two men named by TBI is Dakota Neetz, who was charged with one count of trafficking for commercial sex acts, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and one count of solicitation of a minor. Local reporting has since identified Neetz as a Chattanooga chiropractor, and a Tennessee Department of Health database indicates he was first licensed to practice in Tennessee in 2022.
The third person named by TBI is Tommy Reed Jr., who was charged with promoting prostitution.
A report revealed in January that more than 11,000 illegal aliens were charged or convicted across Tennessee last year. Of these cases, 145 involved sexual offenses, with 79 of those involving a minor victim. More recently, ICE announced last month that it arrested 120 illegal aliens during an operation at a Memphis nightclub.
Since President Donald Trump began his second term in the White House, ICE has deported more than 18,500 illegal aliens from within the Volunteer State. This is about 10 percent of the total population estimated to reside in Tennessee in 2023.
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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].
