News Releases and Statements

Daniel Mata, 28, of Rio Bravo, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge George Kazen to 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

HSI is a leading agency in the fight against human trafficking and routinely works with federal, state, local and international law enforcement agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations, to identify and prosecute human traffickers and rescue their victims.

With January being set aside for National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, ICE is serious about taking the necessary steps to end the crime. ICE relies on tips from the public to dismantle these individuals and organizations who exploit their victims and encourages education and awareness as part of the process to bring an end to this modern-day form of slavery.

Human trafficking victims are not specific to age, race, nationality or gender, although most sex-trafficking victims are women. By definition, human trafficking victims become modern-day slaves through force, fraud or coercion. Those targeted by traffickers are often perceived as vulnerable. Undocumented migrants, runaways and at-risk youth, and oppressed or marginalized groups are among the high-risk population of human trafficking victims.

Approximately 55 representatives from the State of Mexico and the Mexican Federal Police participated in the seminar, the first ever state-level training of its kind. The Instituto Mexiquense de Seguridad y Justicia and the Comisión de Seguridad Estatal del Gobierno del Estado de México assisted with hosting the seminar.

Arturo Rojas Coyotl, 28, of Tenancingo, Mexico, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $600 special assessment. Odilon Martinez Rojas, 43, of Tenancingo, Mexico, has been sentenced to 21 years, ten months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $600 special assessment. Each defendant was ordered to pay restitution in amount of $190,000, which will be divided between three victims.

Raul Ramirez-Martinez, 36, a previously deported illegal alien from Queretaro, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen to 120 months on each of the charges, to be served concurrently. As an illegal alien, he is expected to face deportation proceedings after he’s released from prison. Ramirez-Martinez pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2014.

Jurors returned guilty verdicts Jan. 16 for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking against gang members Deion Lockhart, 26; Richard Gray, 25; Emmanual Lockhart, 24, and Timothy McCullouch, Jr., 29, who is a former El Paso County juvenile probation officer.

Jorge Estrada -Tepal, 37, and Ricardo Estrada -Tepal, 33, of Queens, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking involving forces, fraud, and coercion. Victor Leonel Estrada -Tepal, 29, of Queens, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor.

HSI special agents arrested Marcellus Overton, 39, after he was charged federally with sex trafficking of a minor and transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. The charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.

According to court documents, Jaime Gerardo Serrano-Villegas, 28, assisted others with moving a boat filled with Mexican nationals across the Rio Grande River, towards Rio Bravo, Texas.

In 2010, President Barack Obama declared January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the hopes of bringing an end to this inexcusable act of abuse that is a modern-day form of slavery.

Rene Jonathan Hernandez Gomez, 23, and Rubia Benavide, 65, both of El Salvador, are charged with attempting to smuggle unaccompanied minors for profit.

Ruth Fernandez Morales-Lopez, 32, pleaded guilty Jan. 8 to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens to stash houses in the Brownsville area. Alfredo Prieto, 43, of Laguna Vista, Texas, was arrested Wednesday on related charges. The following five others have also pleaded guilty to alien smuggling charges: Abram Erasmo Rodriguez, 21, a U.S. citizen from Los Fresnos, Texas; Olegario Reyes-Bonola, 50; Esteban Castro-Molina, 40; Digma Salinas-De Rivera, 41; and Jose Antonio Marin-Sanchez, 43.

Maria Blake, 45, aka “Jessica,” and “Yvonne,” and her husband, Ronald, 45, are charged with inducing foreign or interstate travel for prostitution.

Roman Sanchez, 33, from Mission, Texas, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison on one count of harboring, encouraging or otherwise inducing an alien to reside illegally in the United States. Sanchez admitted his guilt in a plea agreement, which he signed Sept. 18, 2014.

The nine-count indictment against Amurabi Medina-Cruz, 21, was returned Dec. 17. He will have his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Janice Ellington at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 19, at which time the government expects to request his continued detention pending further criminal proceedings.

Ruth Antuanet Miller, 35, along with her co-conspirators, used threats and coercion to induce women to commit commercial sex acts and, once ensnared, coerced these women to continue prostituting.

Habtom Merhay, 47, of the United Kingdom, pleaded guilty to human smuggling charges Sept. 24. He was originally arrested by Moroccan authorities in August 2013 and extradited to the United States April 25. He has been in custody since his arrest.

Maria Rosalba Alvarado McTague, 47, and Felix Adriano Chujoy, 26, both of Harrisonburg, were indicted by a federal grand jury Dec. 4. That indictment was unsealed Friday evening following the defendants’ arrests and initial court appearances.

Kala D Rains, 47, of Potrero, was convicted of seven counts of conspiracy along with harboring and transporting illegal aliens.

Shaun Eric McKinley, 35, was found guilty Sept. 18 of one count of sex trafficking by force and one count of kidnapping.

Roberto Cantu-Rodriguez, 35, of Laredo, appeared before a federal judge Nov. 17 to enter his guilty plea for shielding, harboring and concealing five illegal aliens from detection while he was stationed at the Laredo CBP Sector.

Eliezer Lazo, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit extortion for his role in an alien smuggling operation that moved approximately 1,000 Cuban migrants from Cuba to Mexico and then the United States.

Wilkes-Barre resident Travis Humphrey, 27, previously pleaded guilty to recruiting and transporting a then 16-year-old female to engage in commercial sex acts in motels in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.