Mexican Nationals Accused Of Importing Prostitutes
2 Men, 1 Woman Face Human Trafficking Charges

POSTED: 5:43 pm EDT August 21, 2007
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The South Carolina U.S. Attorney's Office announced the indictment Tuesday of three Mexican nationals who they say were importing women from Mexico to South Carolina for prostitution.

According to the indictment, Jesus Perez-Laguna, Guadalupe "Mama Martina" Reyes-Rivera and Ciro Bustos-Rosales brought women into the state for use in a commercial sex operation, at least one as young as 14 years old.

Perez-Laguna, Reyes-Rivera and Bustos-Rosales also are accused of harboring illegal immigrants.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Wan J. Kim said, "Too often sex traffickers prey on young women who are brought into the United States illegally, thousands of miles from home, and unaware of the U.S. legal system or their rights to be free from this form of involuntary servitude."

If convicted of sex trafficking and related crimes, Perez-Laguna, Reyes-Rivera and Bustos-Rosales face a sentence of up to life in prison and a combined fine of more than $1 million.

Since 2001, the Justice Department has charged more than 430 with human trafficking and secured convictions for 316 defendants.

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