Woman held in East Tennessee human trafficking case to be deported

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- A federal judge in Chattanooga will turn over an illegal immigrant to be deported to her native Mexico in an a human trafficking case.

Clara Rodriguez was arrested in September, along with her husband Venancio Perez, on Interstate 75 in Bradley County. In the van with them were seven Chinese nationals.

Federal authorities charged Perez with human trafficking, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Anderson says there was insufficient evidence to charge Rodriguez with the offense.

On Thursday, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to being in the U.S. illegally.

Judge Curtis Collier says the court will turn her over to immigration officials early next month.