New York Sex Trafficking: Family of 5 From Mexico Sentenced After Running Ring That Exploits Mexican Women

Five members of a family in New York were sentenced on Thursday for running a sex trafficking ring that exploited Mexican women for at least 10 years.

The sex traffickers were identified as Jose Miguel Melendez-Rojas, Jose Osvaldo Melendez-Rojas, Rosalio Melendez-Rojas, Francisco Melendez-Perez, and Abel Romero-Melendez, the United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of New York said in a release.

On Thursday, Jose Miguel Melendez-Rojas was sentenced to 39 years imprisonment, while Jose Osvaldo Melendez-Rojas and Rosalio Melendez-Rojas received 39 years and four months sentence.

Francisco Melendez-Perez was slammed with 25 years of imprisonment, and Abel Romero-Melendez got 20 years of jail time.

"Today's lengthy sentence reflects the immeasurable harm the defendants' brutality and exploitation inflicted on these young women and girls," the United States Attorney Peace said.

Sex Trafficking Victim Details Her Experience in New York

According to New York Post, the family was convicted in March 2020, but their sentencing was delayed due to COVID-19. The suspects faced charges of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of minors, interstate prostitution, money laundering conspiracy, and alien smuggling.

Reports mentioned that the family of the sex trafficker "promised a better life," but the defendants ensnared young, vulnerable victims from Mexico to the world of sex trafficking.

The defendants reportedly transported young Mexican women between 2006 and 2017 to the United States to work in prostitution. They reportedly utilized false promises of love, marriage, and a better life to lure the women and bring them to the United States, where they were expected to become prostitutes in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut.

On Thursday's sentencing, witnesses were also given a chance to speak with the judge.

One of the witnesses, identified as Delia, pointed out that she was 13 years old when she met Francisco Melendez-Perez. Delia noted that the defendant promised her a "beautiful future," but she alleged that the Mexican man threatened her that he will kill her family if she refused to go into prostitution.

The witness shared that she saw 30 to 40 clients a day in New York and that she works six to seven days a week.

"My back and legs constantly hurt and even walking is painful. My jaw was so badly injured that I would cry when I tried to chew food, and for years I could only eat soft food, like a baby," Delia said.

Delia also noted that she tried to escape, but Francisco told her that he will go back to Mexico and force her 12-year-old sister to also step into the business.

Mexico Sex Trafficker Believed What They Did was 'Normal'

One of the sex traffickers, Francisco Melendez-Perez from Mexico, also spoke with the judge as the sentences were given to them.

Melendez-Perez noted that he thought his family's business was "normal."

"Where I was born, it [sex trafficking] was a normal thing, this is what they did in my town," the defendant said. Melendez-Perez also noted that he matured, and he realized that he was "ignorant" as he asked the judge for another chance.

The sentencing of the traffickers who exploited women in New York and other areas came as human trafficking continues to grow in Mexico in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Insight Crime reported.

Reports noted that one of the most described forms of human trafficking in Mexico was sexual exploitation among women and girls. The country is known to have the highest rate of human trafficking as records revealed that at least 2,800 people were known to be victims between 2015 and 2021.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

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