Two Plead Guilty in Sex Trafficking and Alien Harboring Case

HOUSTON—Two defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles in trafficking Mexican females for compelled service at Houston area bars and restaurants through force, fraud and coercion, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Maria Rojas, aka “Nancy,” and Jose Luis Rojas entered their pleas to both conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens as well as the sex trafficking conspiracy before U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes yesterday afternoon.

The two were charged with a conspiracy involving the recruitment of Mexican women and girls to travel to the United States with the false expectation of legitimate jobs in bars and restaurants. The indictment, returned Feb. 15, 2011, alleged that the conspirators further relied on the services of pimps to supply the women for use as prostitutes to maintain control of the women. Maria Rojas, 46, was the owner of La Costenita, formerly Playa Sola, as well as El Club Restaurante, formerly La Cueva Restaurante Bar, both located on Clinton Drive in Houston. Jose Luis Rojas, 38, operated La Costenita.

Eight others were also charged in the indictment with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. Javier Guevara Belmontes, 46, also owned, controlled and operated La Costenita and El Club Restaurante. Maday Martinez, 34, and Evelin Carolina Aguera, 37, worked as managers, while Claudia Perez Ramirez, Silvano Santos aka “Chivas,” Francisco Maradiaga Jimenez aka “Pancho,” and Olvan Ramirez Caceres worked at La Costenita as lookouts alerting police presence. The final defendant, Aleyda Juarez, passed out condoms and charged the females $15 for the condom as well as use of the rooms.

Aguera, Santos, Perez Ramirez, Maradiaga Jimenez, Ramirez Caceres, and Juarez have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. Their sentences for their roles in conspiracy to harboring illegal aliens has ranged from eight to 11 months and all will be deported upon completion of their sentences. Martinez has also pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

The remaining defendant, Belmontes, is scheduled for trial Feb. 27, 2012. He is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

Maria and Jose Rojas are set for sentencing on Feb. 27, 2012, at which time they face a maximum term of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for the sex trafficking conspiracy conviction in addition to a maximum 10 years for conspiracy to harbor aliens. Maria Rojas, who also pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry after deportation, will also face an additional two-year prison term and a 250,000 fine.

The United States is also seeking the forfeiture of money, two bars, one restaurant and several properties which the government alleges where the proceeds of ill gotten gains and/or used to facilitate these crimes.

The investigation leading to the filing of criminal charges was the result of a three-year investigation conducted by members of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) in Houston, which includes the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Attorney General’s Office, Department of State, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Houston Police Department. The HTRA was formed by the United States Attorney’s office in Houston as part of a broader effort by the Department of Justice to concentrate and combine resources of our own office’s civil rights and organized crime units as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those victimized by the traffickers. The Houston HTRA was one of the first of 42 such funded organizations and the first of its kind in Texas. The mission of the HTRA is to foster the collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies with area social service organizations to identify and assist the victims of human trafficking and to effectively identify, apprehend, and prosecute those engaged in trafficking offenses.

Assistant United States Attorneys Ruben R. Perez and Joe Magliolo prosecuted the case, while Katherine Haden handled the asset forfeiture matter.