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Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don’t have a verifiable source on file yet. Know one?
What happened
There are three main traffickers. Juan Ramos (age 34) and Ramiro Ramos (age 42) (brothers) and Jose Ramos (age 45), their cousin. They ran a company named R&A Harvesting, Inc. that brought undocumented workers from Arizona to Florida to work in the fields picking oranges. Many of the workers were from Mexico and Central America. They employed up to 700 workers and told them that they had to pay off their transportation debt which was $1,000. The Ramos brothers were known among the workers as "El Diablo" (the Devil) and "El Nino" (tropical storm). They told the workers that ifany of them tried to escape, they would look for, find, kick beat and kill them. They were housed in sub-standard barracks and often times six workers lived in one room. $30 was deducted weekly for their lodging. The workers were not paid minimum wage, rather they received tokens for each orange bin they filled. They were also encouraged to shop at a grocery store that was more expensive than the rest, which was conveniently owned by Ramiro Ramos' wife. They worked a minimum of ten hours a day and never had a day off. Only 16 of their 680 workers had valid Social Security numbers and their I-9 forms were forged. This event is also linked to a murder that was committed on April 20th 1997. The Highlands County, Florida, Sheriff's Office received a 911 call saying that something strange had happened out in the migrant-worker ghetto. When the police got there they found a man laying face down in a pool of blood, after being shot in the back of the head execution style. The person who called 911 identified a vehicle and the police found the same vehicle at the Ramos's house. After searching the car they found a .45 caliber bullet and brought in the Ramos brothers and their cousin in for questioning. They were released. Several weeks later they found out from several migrant workers that the Ramos brothers use violence to make sure none of the workers run away without paying off their debt. The man who had been shot was a van driver that was fleeing with some workers. The Ramos brothers killed him. The police got a search warrant and searched the Ramos' house and found a Savage 7-millimeter rifle, a Marlin .22 rifle, an AK-47, a semiautomatic rifle, a Browning 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol and a Remington 700 7-millimeter Magnum rifle. Both brothers were then arrested but released 5 days later on 20,000 bail. Weapon charges were never brought and labor charges were dropped. This just goes to show the extensive history of oppression and violence that the Ramos family placed upon migrant workers and all those that helped the workers.
Response and intervention
They were convicted of conspiracy to violate the laws of the United States by keeping migrant workers in involuntary servitude, interference with commerce through extortion by threats and violence, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and harboring illegal aliens. Ramiro Ramos and Juan Ramos were sentenced to a total of 180 months in prison (15 years). They also had to pay $675.00 in restitutions and fines of $15,000 each. They also had to give up stocks and personal property that had a value of $3 million. Jose Ramos was sentenced to a total of 123 months in prison (10 years and 3 months) and had to pay a $10,000 fine. They attempted to appeal the decision on May 5, 2005 but the court denied it. More information can be found by locating the case number United States v. Ramos No. 02-16478, at 7 (11th Cir. Sept. 26, 2003) and case number 02-16478-AA Four workers decided to run away and then contacted the Coalition for Immokalee Workers and were taken to a safe haven. Information and evidence was then collected and the workers were represented pro-bono and the Ramos family was brought to court. The Judge that served this case was United States District Judge K. Michael Moore. Jose Martinez, the owner of a transportation service for migrant farm workers testified against the Ramos since he was assaulted when he attempted to transport migrant farm workers out of Lake Placid. Three farm workers also testified against the Ramos. The victims received compensation from the Ramos family. However, after the court found that most of the workers were illegal they issued a deportation notice. It was found by a combination of factors. The murder that happened in 1997 was a tipoff to the local authorities. Then the workers that ran away and contacted a humans rights organization. Also the social security reports that were inaccurate brought this case to a higher level.