Alabama: Suspects in child sex trafficking ring linked to the Sureños gang arrested

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office in Alabama has uncovered a child sex trafficking ring that has shocked the local community, with seven suspects in custody for abuse committed at a storm shelter in Brent.

Sheriff Jody Wade said arrests continue as more evidence is uncovered, and the ring leader, Andrés Trejo-Velázquez, is believed to have ties to the Sureños gang, an organization that Wade says is funded primarily through child sex trafficking, according to notes from Breibart.

The suspects and the crimes

The suspects, identified as William Chase McElroy, Dalton Terrell, Andres Trejo-Velazquez, Timothy St. John, Rebecca Brewer, Ricky Terrell and Sara Terrell, now face charges including rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, sexual torture, human trafficking and kidnapping.

For his part, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Jones, in statements to Breitbart Texas, noted that additional charges are expected due to the seriousness of the case, which involves at least 10 victims between the ages of 3 and 15.

The investigation

The investigation began in February of this year following a report of child abuse received by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, which led to the discovery that children were being drugged and sexually abused in a subway bunker disguised as a garage. Wade described the scenario: “I’ve been in law enforcement for 33 years, and this is absolutely the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen when it comes to the victimization of children, he said, adding, “Like I say, I know God’s forgiveness is boundless. But if there was a limit to it, I think we reached it.”

Children were tied to posts, beds and chairs in the bunker, and the abuses were arranged according to "appointment times" with multiple abusers, generating up to $1,000 a night for the traffickers.

Wade expressed hope that the younger children's memories are fuzzy due to the drugs administered.