More disturbing information is coming to light in the Bibb County child sex trafficking investigation, including suspected connections to gangs and Mexican cartels.
According to CBS 42, federal authorities believe Andres Trejo-Velazquez is a member of the Sureños gang.
Homeland Security is currently investigating whether the Bibb County sex trafficking operation was tied to a Mexican cartel.
“This is always a part of an investigation of this nature—looking at the profit that is made and what is done with it,” said Steven Schrank, Homeland Security’s Special Agent in Charge told CBS 42.
Schrank described the Sureños as a violent gang known for its long history of transnational crime. He said the group assists Mexican cartels with drug smuggling, illegal weapons trafficking, and other criminal enterprises. He explained that these organizations often work together to “push product that poisons our community and generates profit for their activity.”
A cartel is generally defined as a coalition of violent criminal organizations engaged in drug trafficking and other illegal activities, both within Mexico and internationally. They are known for their complex structures, extreme violence, and widespread influence.
The Bibb County case came to light on February 4, 2025, after the Alabama Department of Human Resources received a report of suspected child abuse. When deputies from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office responded to the complaint, they uncovered evidence of ongoing sexual abuse involving children. The abuse occurred in a hidden bunker beneath a structure that appeared from the outside to be a standard carport.
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“It just looks like a shed where you park cars, but when you go around back, it’s actually an underground storm cellar where all the incidents took place,” Sheriff Jody Wade said. “It was built for a good thing and used for a horrible thing.”
Seven people have been arrested in connection with the case: Andres Trejo-Velazquez, William Chase McElroy, Dalton Terrell, Timothy St. John, Rebecca Brewer, Ricky Terrell, and Sara Terrell. Charges include rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, sexual torture, human trafficking, kidnapping, and bestiality.
“Some of the suspects are related,” Wade explained, “but other suspects are acquaintances or people who paid to victimize children.”
The human traffickers were reportedly making at least $1,000 a night from the abuse, according to Wade’s comments during an earlier press conference.
While Homeland Security has not confirmed any financial link between the cartel and the Sureños gang, authorities say Trejo-Velazquez was active in the gang at the time of his arrest.
“Trejo has gang tattoos that are very much aligned with Sureño gang art,” Schrank said.
Sheriff Wade said those tattoos were one of the early indicators that helped investigators identify his alleged gang affiliation. He added that Trejo-Velazquez not only had the markings but also openly boasted about his gang membership.
“He’d brag to different people that he was associated with—that he was a member of the gang,” Wade said.
Though Trejo-Velazquez is a U.S. citizen, Homeland Security discovered that he has family members with possible ties to Mexico and organized crime.
“We also believe his father was a suspected gang member who ultimately perished in Mexico in 2015 in a clash with a rival cartel or gang,” Schrank said.
The child sex trafficking investigation is ongoing. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said those arrested played different roles in the criminal operation, including managing money, scheduling abuse, and supplying children to be exploited.
Sheriff Wade emphasized that the department is actively searching for more victims and perpetrators involved in the network.
“We’re doing all we can to find all the victims and get them to safety and find all the perpetrators and get them in custody,” he said.
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The investigation continues as the Bibb County community seeks answers and offers support to the survivors and those involved in their rescue.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
