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Sex Trafficker - Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez - Convicted

February 13, 2009

LOS ANGELES CA NEWS -- After a six-week trial, Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez and her fellow criminals were convicted on Wednesday, of conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and importation of aliens for purposes of prostitution. Evidence provided at trial showed the sex trafficking organization collected the profits generated by the compelled prostitution, and maintained control of the prostitution proceeds, earning tens of thousands of dollars for their profit while the victims, most underage Central American girls as young as 13, received almost nothing.

The defendants found guilty on February 11, 2009, are:

• Gladys Vasquez Valenzuela, aka Gladys, 38
• Mirna Jeanneth Vasquez Valenzuela, aka Miriam, 27
• Gabriel Mendez, 34
• Maria de los Angeles Vicente aka Angela, 29
• Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez, 29

All of the defendants face statutory maximum penalties of life in prison. Ironically, all of the defendants, except Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez, face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights said: "It is heart-wrenching to see young girls and women being victimized and exploited in this horrific way. The Civil Rights Division will work in conjunction with U.S. Attorneys Offices nationwide to stamp out this vicious and intolerable crime and seek significant prison sentences for anyone engaging in these despicable acts. This verdict is a message to all international and domestic sex traffickers that they cannot escape justice for committing egregious human rights violations."

U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said: "The defendants in this case trafficked in human beings, using these victims' desire for a better life to lure them into a situation where they were deprived of their basic human rights. No one should be victimized in this way."

U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Morrow, who presided over the trial, will sentence the defendants later this year. Additional coconspirators, Flor Morales Sanchez, Pablo Bonifacio, Luis Vicente Vasquez and Albertina Vasquez Valenzeula previously pleaded guilty to various offenses in connection with the sex trafficking organization.

Five months ago, Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez was arrested Monday, September 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, California, which goes to show that fugitives do not necessarily leave the country, state, or even the area where their arrest warrants are issued.

Vasquez had a $10,000 bounty posted by the FBI for her arrest. Vasquez, a known prostitute, was most wanted for her alleged involvement in a sex trafficking organization operating in Los Angeles, California. In addition, Vasquez, is one of six women of a Guatemalan family who were charged with running the prostitution operation.

On December 18, 2006, a warrant was issued for Vasquez's arrest by the United States District Court, Central District of California, after she was charged with:

• Knowingly and intentionally concealing, harboring, and shielding illegal aliens in the United States for financial gain.
• Importation into and harboring of aliens in the United States for purposes of prostitution.
• Aiding and abetting.

In Guatemala, the sex trafficking organization recruited young women, many of them underage minors as young as 13, with the lure of jobs in restaurants and retail stores in the United States. Once the women reached Los Angeles, they were informed their "job" would be working as prostitutes. When the women protested, they were informed they had no choice. Twelve victims, including five minors, of this sex trafficking organization endured frequent threats of violence, as well as physical abuse incurred by Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez. Meanwhile, they were forced to work seven days a week as prostitutes in order pay off smuggling fees charged by these sex traffickers. Fees often accumulated upwards to $20,000. Victims were also guarded to prevent their escape.

The victims of this sex trafficking organization endured frequent threats of violence, as well as physical abuse incurred by Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez. Meanwhile, they were forced to work seven days a week as prostitutes in order pay off smuggling fees charged by these sex traffickers. Fees often accumulated upwards to $20,000. Victims were also guarded to prevent their escape.

Moreover, the sex trafficking organization allegedly used "witch doctors" to warn the victims that curses would be placed on them and their families if they attempt to escape. In one incident, four members of the sex trafficking ring repeatedly kicked and hit one of the victims following an unsuccessful escape attempt.

Originally, a law enforcement multi-agency investigative probe began when two victims escaped with the help of a client and ultimately contacted law enforcement authorities. Subsequently, two other victims were liberated by law enforcement authorities in November 2006. Furthermore, after a successful escape of the first two women, Gladys Vasquez Valenzuela was alleged to have made repeated calls to one of the women's cell phones threatening to kill her and her family. Over the course of the investigation, the following five women, along with several men have been arrested:

• Gladys Vasquez Valenzuela, 36, Maribel's aunt.
• Jeanette Vasquez Valenzuela, a.k.a. Miriam, 25, who is Gladys' sister.
• Albertina Vasquez Valenzuela, a.k.a. Christina, 48; who is a third sister.
• Maria Vicente de Los Angeles, also known as Angela, 27, who is Albertina's daughter.
• Flor Morales Sanchez, 33

Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez, is thought to be the niece of the three Valenzuela sisters.

Finally, the successful dismantling of this sex trafficking organization is directly accredited to the three-month investigation by the Los Angeles Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor, and the Los Angeles Police Department.

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