July 07, 2008 ATLANTA --
Five men were charged in Federal Court July 7 with more than 30 counts of human trafficking and related offenses for a scheme in which women were allegedly smuggled from Mexico to become prostitutes in Atlanta.According to information revealed in court, the women did business with men from all over North Fulton, Gwinnett and Forsyth counties.
The office of U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said Mexican immigrants and Norcross residents the Cortes-Meza family -- Amador "Javier" Cortes-Meza, 34, Juan Cortes-Meza, 31, Francisco "Paco" Cortes-Meza, 25, and Raul "Oscar" Cortes-Meza, 21 -- and Edison "Caruso" W. Rosa Tort, 69, originally of Guatemala but living in Cartersville, were the suspects charged. All five face federal charges of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking, importing women for the purpose of prostitution, and harboring and shielding aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain.
"Human trafficking violates basic human rights and will not be tolerated," said Nahmias. "Compelling women by force, fraud or coercion to engage in commercial sex acts is a serious violation of federal law."According to Nahmias and the information presented in court, the object of the conspiracy was to bring young women in from Mexico to engage in prostitution in the metropolitan Atlanta area while housed in Norcross and Cartersville. The 10 victims named in the case include three young women who allegedly were forced into commercial sex acts against their will by through force, fraud and coercion, and four victims who were under the age of 18.
"The victimization of the young women in this case was unfortunately made easier by their illegal status, unfamiliarity with U.S. laws, and fear of law enforcement instilled in them by the traffickers," said Nahmias.According to the indictment, Juan, Amador and Franciso Cortes-Meza would become the young woman's boyfriend or promise her work cleaning houses in the United States or in a restaurant in order to obtain her agreement to be smuggled into the country. They then allegedly helped smuggle her into the US.
But the honeymoon was short lived. Those three, along with Tort, allegedly physically abused the young women.Court documents show some of the victims were beaten, threatened, or faced threats to their Mexican families in order to force them to work as prostitutes against their will. It is alleged that at least one of the codefendants was always present in the home where the victims lived in order to monitor them and direct the prostitution work.Some of the victims were not allowed to leave the house unaccompanied, Nahmias said.
They frequently serviced between 20 and 30 men a night, charging $25, some of which went to the drivers who transported the young women to the "johns." The majority of the money earned was kept by the alleged traffickers.
"These victims were lured from their homes with a promise of a better life; instead, they were forced or coerced into prostitution," said Kenneth A. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Atlanta.All five defendants face substantive charges of sex trafficking, with Juan, Amador and Raul Cortes-Meza charged specifically with sex trafficking of minors and smuggling aliens into the United States.Rosa Tort and Raul Cortes-Meza are charged with driving the women to various places where men or "johns" were willing to pay for sex with them.
Nahmias said the victims' immigration status has no bearing on the case, and urges any other victims to come forward."Federal laws protect all victims of such heinous crimes, whether or not they are United States citizens," said Nahmias. "No victim should fear coming forward to report illegal activity and criminal abuse."
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