Authorities say the children were smuggled into the U.S., sent to Smithville and made to work to cover debts.
SMITHVILLE, TN — A teenage girl who fled a Smithville restaurant and asked police for help set off raids and arrests this week, and three other minors were found safe, authorities said. The case, uncovered on Thursday, centers on suspected cartel-tied human smuggling and child labor trafficking at a local restaurant and market.
Investigators say four children were brought across the southern border, moved through Arizona and into DeKalb County, then made to work at Chabelita’s Restaurant and Market. The girl who escaped reported the alleged scheme to Smithville officers, prompting a rapid response by local, state and federal agencies. The investigation is now in the arrest-and-charging phase, with officials describing a months-long probe that culminated in search warrants, seizures and interviews. The immediate stakes are the children’s safety, the integrity of the criminal case, and potential additional arrests as authorities follow evidence from homes and businesses searched this week.
After the girl reached police, Smithville officers and DeKalb County deputies obtained and executed search warrants at the market on East Broad Street and at a home on Bright Hill Road. Investigators said they seized numerous firearms and other evidence from the locations. Three boys linked to the case were later found alone at a home on West Broad Street without adult supervision, taken into custody for their safety, and interviewed. “The coyotes and the human traffic smugglers are believed to be a part of the Mexican drug cartel,” Sheriff Patrick Ray and Police Chief Mark Collins said in a joint statement, adding that all four minors were made to work at the business to repay housing costs and smuggling debts.
Two men are charged so far. Joshua Hernandez-Morales, 18, faces one count of trafficking for forced labor or services. Marcelino Diaz-Decena, 52, is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation obtained the warrants, and deputies, local officers and agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security made the arrests. Bonds were set at $75,000 for Hernandez-Morales and $25,000 for Diaz-Decena. Officials said the children were initially moved across the border by a coyote into Arizona before being sent to Tennessee. The minors were later released to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Authorities did not immediately identify the minors by age and said other suspects may be involved, which remains under investigation.
Records and officials describe a case that began taking shape months ago and gained urgency this week when the girl escaped the restaurant and approached police. Smithville officers described a pattern consistent with debt bondage: children compelled to work to repay smuggling fees and housing. The raids followed surveillance at the West Broad Street address, where officers observed the boys living alone, according to authorities. At the East Broad Street market, investigators served a warrant tied to alleged forced labor, and at the Bright Hill Road home, they seized firearms and documents. Officials have not released a precise timeline for when the children arrived in Tennessee or how long they worked, citing the ongoing investigation.
The legal process is just beginning. Both defendants are scheduled to appear in DeKalb County court on Jan. 8. Prosecutors will likely seek to consolidate evidence gathered in the raids, witness interviews and any financial or communication records that show smuggling debts or labor arrangements. State trafficking counts can carry significant prison time, and federal charges could follow depending on what ICE and Homeland Security investigators develop. Authorities said further arrests are possible as they review items seized under the search warrants and pursue leads outside DeKalb County. Additional victim and witness services are being coordinated through the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.
Outside the market on East Broad Street on Thursday, police tape marked the perimeter as investigators moved in and out of the building. Neighbors described a steady stream of activity at the business in recent weeks. At the West Broad Street house, a resident on the block said officers arrived in the afternoon and stayed into the evening. Sheriff Ray thanked the public for tips and credited the girl’s decision to seek help with accelerating the case. “She found a way out and came to us,” he said, adding that the priority now is to stabilize the children and prepare the case for court.
As of Friday, all four minors are in state care and considered safe. The defendants remain free on bond pending their first court appearance on Jan. 8, and investigators say they are still pursuing additional suspects and evidence tied to the alleged smuggling route through Arizona.
Author note: Last updated December 19, 2025.