April 30, 2009

Texas man sentenced to 13 years in prison for alien smuggling
Investigation revealed forced labor in service capacities

HOUSTON - A Texas man was sentenced Monday to 13 years in federal prison for his role in smuggling Central American women and girls into the United States and holding them in forced labor. This case resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Maximino Mondragon, 57, was sentenced to 156 months in prison; with three years post release supervision, a $200 special assessment, and ordered to pay, jointly with his co-defendants, $1,715,588.05 in restitution to the victims.

Mondragon is the last of eight defendants to be convicted and sentenced in connection with a forced labor scheme that coerced victims into service in restaurants, bars and cantinas, using threats to harm the victims and their families if they attempted to leave before paying off their smuggling debts.

"The victims in this case were subjected to horrible treatment at the hands of these defendants," said Tim Johnson, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. "We will use every resource available to make certain that violations of this sort result in the maximum prison term available."

Mondragon previously pleaded guilty to the following violations: conspiracy to hold persons in a condition of indentured servitude; illegally and knowingly recruiting, harboring, transporting persons for labor and services; and conspiracy to bring, harbor and transport known illegal aliens for purposes of commercial advantage and private financial gain.

The defendants lured Central American women to the United States with promises of good jobs. However, once the young women arrived, they were forced to work in the defendants' bars and cantinas selling high-priced drinks to male customers. The women were subjected to threats of harm to them and their families in order to compel their servitude.

Co-defendants Oscar Mondragon and Walter Corea were also convicted of both conspiracy counts and each sentenced to prison terms of 180 months. Co-defendant Victor Omar Lopez was sentenced to 109 months in prison on both conspiracy counts. Co-defendant Olga Mondragon, who was convicted of multiple charges stemming from her involvement in these schemes to hold young Central American victims in a condition of forced labor and to smuggle the young women to the United States for financial gain, was sentenced to a prison term of 84 months. Co-defendant Maria Fuentes was convicted of harboring the young women for financial gain and sentenced to 30 months in prison. Co-defendant Lorenza Reyes-Nunez was convicted of obstruction of justice and has been sentenced to 19 months in prison. Co-defendant Kerin Silva was convicted of conspiracy to smuggle aliens and sentenced to 12 months' home detention followed by three years of probation.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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