5 New Jersey residents sentenced to prison for human trafficking

TRENTON, N.J. — Five New Jersey residents were sentenced to state prison Aug. 15, for operating brothels in Lakewood. These brothels were part of a network operating in New Jersey, New York and other states that trafficked women from Mexico to the United States to work as prostitutes. The sentencing follows an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.

Jose Cruz Romero-Flores, 39, Felix Rios-Martinez, 48, and Raul Romero-Castillo, 31, all from Lakewood, were sentenced to five years in state prison for conspiracy to facilitate human trafficking. Santos Lazaero Florez-Cruz, 59, of Union City and Haliro Bueno, 22, of Lakewood, were sentenced to three years for promoting prostitution.

"Human trafficking cases have been and continue to be a major priority for HSI," said Andrew M. McLees, special agent in charge of HSI Newark. "HSI's ability to reach beyond our borders into foreign nations where human trafficking is initiated and to partner with our state and local authorities creates a formidable strategy that grants law enforcement an advantage over those who deprive victims of their human rights. We are proud to stand next to our law enforcement partners with the State of New Jersey to announce a great success against this despicable crime."

"It is simply implausible that any woman would submit to a life where she serviced up to 40 men a day as a prostitute in a rundown brothel unless she was coerced and lived in fear of those who profited from her suffering," said Acting Attorney General John Hoffman. "This case vividly illustrates the level of subjugation to which human traffickers reduce their victims. We're targeting this modern day slavery through prosecutions such as this one and through publicity campaigns that shine a light in the darkness where these crimes occur."

"When we arrested these men in July 2013, it marked the first time anyone was charged under New Jersey's omnibus human trafficking law, which took effect that same month," said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. "We're going to continue to use that tough new law to send human traffickers to prison and rescue the victims of sex-and labor-related trafficking."

According to court documents, Romero-Flores operated several Lakewood brothels. At the time the defendants were arrested in July 2013, he was operating a single brothel in Lakewood. The joint investigation revealed that Romero-Flores and other brothel owners in New Jersey, New York and additional surrounding states, worked together as a loose network to bring women into the country illegally, primarily from Mexico but also from other Latin American countries, and introduced them into a life of prostitution. Many women were tricked into believing they were going to the United States to work as house cleaners or babysitters. In other cases, they were coerced into going to the United States to work the "circuit" of brothels and were ordered to send any money they earned back to Mexico.

The four male associates assisted Romero-Flores by watching the brothels, driving women and clients to and from the brothels, and carrying out other tasks. All of the defendants are Mexican nationals who were in the country illegally. They have been held in jail in lieu of bail since their arrests, and all also are the subject of federal detainers.

On July 11, 2013, detectives and special agents executed search warrants for the brothel and Romero-Flores's home, as well as several vehicles, seizing about $5,800 in cash, identification documents including Mexican passports and driver's licenses, cell phones, laptops, and ledgers that listed the names of women who worked in the brothels and the dates they were scheduled to work.

The investigation revealed that brothel owners in the network paid "coyotes" to smuggle women into the country from Mexico. The women, in many instances, were pressured to repay those who paid for them to be smuggled into the country. Once women were brought into the "circuit," they were moved from brothel to brothel, so clients of each brothel had greater variety. Romero-Flores ordered the women who worked for him to meet quotas. It was not uncommon for women who worked for him to service over 100 clients or "johns" in a 6-day week, from Monday through Saturday, and sometimes they serviced as many as 40 or more johns in a single day. Clients paid $30 for each sexual encounter. Clients came to the brothels or were serviced in "outcalls" in which prostitutes were driven to the client's location. It is believed that several dozen women worked in the brothels run by Romero-Flores over the course of the investigation. Romero-Flores wired money derived from his brothels to Mexico, where he owns properties. The women returned at the end of the week to other residences, usually in the Queens, New York, area or the Union City area of New Jersey. Romero-Flores routinely drove to Queens to pick up women to work in his brothels.

The New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Human Services Police, the Lakewood Police and the Brick Township Police provided valuable assistance in the investigation.