City Council To Discuss Senior Tax Freeze Tuesday. See Our Legal Notices.

4 Arrested During Joint Human Trafficking Operation In Chattanooga

  • Friday, June 13, 2025

An undercover joint operation by special agents with TBI’s Human Trafficking Unit, the Chattanooga Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Lookout Mountain Police Department, the Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force, and the FBI has led to the arrests of four individuals. 

On Monday, agents conducted an undercover operation aimed at addressing human trafficking in the Chattanooga area. The focus of the operation was to identify individuals seeking to engage in sex acts with minors and to recover victims of human trafficking. As a result, authorities arrested Zhang Wei, 60, charged her with one count of promoting prostitution and one count of prostitution, and booked her into the Hamilton County Jail on $200,000 bond.

During the operation, investigators also encountered and assisted in the arrests of two men and one woman.

• Jeffrey Adair Young, 65: one count of solicitation of a minor, $50,000 bond.

• Miguel Zarate Garcia, 25: one count each of aggravated statutory rape and attempted especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, $100,000 bond.

• Jaquita Welch, 49: failure to appear, $11,000 bond.

Another part of the operation focused on identifying potential victims of human trafficking and the direct service, non-governmental organizations Street Grace and Willowbend Farms were on site to offer services to those in need.

Information about human trafficking and TBI’s efforts to address this type of crime can be found online at www.ITHasToStop.com. Anyone can report a suspected case of human trafficking by calling the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-55-TNHTH.

Breaking News
Latest Hamilton County Arrest Report
  • 7/19/2025

Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report. (If your case is dismissed, just email us your name and date we ran it and we will promptly take off. Email to news@chattanoogan.com ) ALLISON,JACOB ... more

Driver Robert L. Lynn, 35, Dies As Vehicle Plunges Into Tennessee River At Highway 58
Driver Robert L. Lynn, 35, Dies As Vehicle Plunges Into Tennessee River At Highway 58
  • 7/18/2025

Sheriff deputies responded to the 6800 block of Highway 58 near Wolftever Bridge for the report of a vehicle crash with entrapment shortly after noon on Friday. Upon arrival, deputies located ... more

Man With Felony Record Found With Gun In Car That Almost Hit Officer Gets 37-Month Federal Sentence
  • 7/18/2025

A man with a felony record who almost struck a police officer while driving on June 23, 2024, has been sentenced to serve 37 months in federal prison. Joseph Watkins appeared before Judge ... more