A McMinn County man accused of trafficking people for commercial sex acts and laundering the proceeds has been arrested in Bullhead City, Arizona. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says 25-year-old Exzayveon Smith was taken into custody there on Wednesday after an investigation by the agency's Human Trafficking Unit.
A Tip From March 2025 Set the Investigation in Motion
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, special agents received a tip in March 2025 alleging that Smith was involved in human trafficking in the McMinn County area. That tip launched an investigation by special agents assigned to its Human Trafficking Unit. The work eventually led to a grand jury action and an arrest across state lines.
On September 15, a McMinn County grand jury indicted Smith on one count of trafficking for commercial sex acts and one count of money laundering. The charges followed the investigation that began with the original tip.
Tracked Down in Arizona, Now Awaiting Extradition
Agents located Smith in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday. With help from the Bullhead City Police Department, he was arrested and booked into the Mohave County Jail in Kingman, Arizona, the same day. The report notes those details came directly from the agency's own case account.
Smith is now awaiting extradition back to Tennessee, where he will be held on a $250,000 bond once he arrives. The TBI's report is careful to note that the charges and allegations against him are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt.
How the Case Fits a Broader Pattern
The TBI has a dedicated Human Trafficking Unit. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation created its Human Trafficking Unit after a 2011 study, while 2015 legislation provided four special-agent positions for trafficking investigations. The Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline was established in 2011, according to a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation statistical report.
The TBI is advising anyone who suspects a human trafficking case to call the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-55-TNHTH. Smith's case remains pending as authorities arrange his return to Tennessee to face the McMinn County charges.
