February 2003, local law enforcement encountered two women who had been raped and left for dead as punishment following their attempted escape from the defendants. Federal law enforcement agents identified two additional female victims and rescued them. A joint Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Federal Bureau of Investigation initiative dismantled the trafficking operation and arrested the defendants. In 2003, four defendants pled guilty to transporting aliens; two defendants pled guilty to involuntary servitude charges; and one defendant pled guilty to conspiracy to commit involuntary servitude. I n M a r c h 2 0 0 3 , A g e n t S e r r a p e r s o n a l l y l i b e r a t e d t w o w o m e n f r o m t h e t r a i l e r s i n w h i c h t h e y w e r e b e i n g h e l d . H e l e d h i s m u l t i - a g e n c y i n v e s t i g a t i v e t e a m f r o m I C E , F B I , a n d t h e H i ≠ d a l g o C o u n t y S h e r i f f ' s O f f i c e t o b r i n g t h e c a s e u n d e r t h e T r a f f i c k i n g V i c t i m s P r o t e c t i o n A c t
Location
United States · Edinburg, Texas · 2003
(location generalized to protect survivors) Response & intervention
Seven men were sentenced to a combined 51 years in prison on trafficking and forced servitude crimes. They were charged with federal civil rights violations, extortion, hostage-taking and immigration offenses; The defendants received sentences ranging from 4 months to more than 23 years of incarceration. Three of the 5 defendants were ordered to pay restitution to their victims.
The victims have been relocated to safe quarters and are receiving immigration and refugee assistance provided for by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA); The victims, then aged 19, 20, 22, and 40, are now safe and receiving help from NGOs who are grantees of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime.
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and other NGOs who are grantees of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime.
Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don't have a verifiable source on file yet — use “Report a problem” below to add one.