2 Men Arrested for Trafficking 3 Guatemalan Teens in Texas
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The Richland Hills Police Department in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. (Screenshot/Facebook)
IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY
2 Men Arrested for Trafficking 3 Guatemalan Teens in Texas
By Charlotte Cuthbertson
December 24, 2021 Updated: December 24, 2021
Two Hispanic men have been charged with human trafficking after being discovered during a routine traffic stop in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area in Texas.
The two men were traveling with three Guatemalan nationals, aged 17, 18, and 19, when a Richland Hills police officer stopped them on Dec. 19.
None of the vehicle occupants had identification or spoke English, the Richland Hills Police Department said in a statement on Dec. 23.
“The three rear passengers all appeared to be young adult males and exhibited signs of unusual nervousness during the encounter which led the officer to continue his investigation out of concern for their welfare,” the statement said.
A Spanish-speaking officer was called to the scene and subsequently determined that the three Guatemalans were victims of labor human trafficking.
The driver, Jorge Martinez Jimenez, a 34-year-old Hispanic male, was arrested on charges including trafficking, forced labor, and possession of a controlled substance. The passenger, Jose Leonel Flores, a 45-year-old Hispanic male, was charged with trafficking, forced labor, and failure to identify himself while also being a fugitive.
Jimenez and Flores were booked into the North Richland Hills Joint Detention Center and later transferred to the Tarrant County Detention Center.
The three victims were initially transported to the police department where they were provided food and victim services. They were later taken to a local victim advocacy center for further assistance, the statement said.
The Richland Hills Police Department subsequently handed the investigation over the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking Unit.
The Richland Hills Police Department didn’t immediately respond to a question asking what type of work the Guatemalans were allegedly forced to do.
2 Men Arrested for Trafficking 3 Guatemalan Teens in Texas (theepochtimes.com)
