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Officers fired upon during human trafficking investigation

Saturday, May 8, 2010
(Updated Monday, May 10 - 10:12 am)

— Five people were taken into custody Friday night after officers raided a home during a human trafficking investigation.

One suspect is accused of firing at a Guilford County Sheriff deputy during the incident. Reyna Isabel Reyes Caballero, 37, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

Caballero is being held at the Guilford County Jail. His bail was set at $250,000.

Caballero and four other people were also taken into custody at the scene and are being detained by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

The other people being held are Jose Martinez-Cruz, 26, of Reidsville; Herculano Lopez-Garcia, 24, of Greensboro; Costanzio Aguileras Palmas, 25, of Reidsville; and Vinicio Arrazate Calderon, 31, of Greensboro.

Caballero has not been charged with human trafficking. The incident, which involves alleged prostitution, is still being investigated, according to law enforcement officials.

Officers conducting an undercover operation believed a female human trafficking victim was being held at a home at 700 N. English Street in Greensboro, according to the sheriff’s department.

Shortly before 11 p.m. Friday night, sheriff department vice officers, agents from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and Greensboro Police entered the home. Caballero allegedly fired at a deputy with a semi-automic handgun, according to law enforcement officials.

A deputy fired back. No one was injured in the shooting.

Officers discovered a woman they say is a human trafficking victim in the home.

“She is not being charged. We have moved her to a safe place,” Col. Randy Powers, of the sheriff’s department, said.

For her safety, law enforcement officials would not give any information about the woman.

His arrest records say Caballero was “running a brothel,” although he has not been charged with crimes other than the assualt charge.

Caballero, who is a native of Honduras and was living in the English Street home, the victim and four other people were at the home at the time of the search.

Two of the men were believed to be customers, Powers said.

Caballero and the other four men are all being held in the Guilford County Jail because they are undocumented U.S. residents. ICE officials are handling that portion of the investigation.

“We’ve lodged detainers against them because they are in the country illegally,” said Barbara Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for ICE.

This is the first rescue Guilford County has made since Det. C.T. Sluder began learning how to investigate human trafficking issues as part of a federal grant awarded last November.

“I prefer to call it a rescue,” Sluder said. “We’re not just arresting a bad guy. We are rescuing someone who is in a situation they can’t get out of.”

Gonzalez said people should be vigilant and report cases of potential trafficking they see in the community.

“Unfortunately, victims of trafficking are everywhere,” Gonzalez said. “They can be in affluent communities. They can be in low-income communities. It’s a global problem.”

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com.
 

Accompanying Photos

Photo Caption:  Reyna Isabel-Reyes Caballero

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