Mexican madam sentenced to 6 months in prison for bringing prostitutes across the border

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A madam from Mexico was sentenced to six months in prison Friday for bringing prostitutes across the border.

Jaqueline Rios Garcia De La Cadena, 33, of Mexico brought two women across the border in April. Rios had booked flights from McAllen to Houston, where they planned to work as prostitutes.

“I did not think of the consequences,” Rios said on Friday morning, when she appeared before a federal judge for sentencing. “I am very remorseful.”

Rios and two women from Mexico walked across the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge on April 2.

Prosecutors referred to the women as “Material Witness 1” and “Material Witness 2.”

When they crossed the bridge, Rios and the women claimed they were traveling separately, Kyle Vollmer, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, testified during a hearing in April.

Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, however, became suspicious when Rios and the women all said they were headed to Houston to “meet some friends.”

They sent Rios and the women to secondary inspection for questioning.

Material Witness 2 changed her story.

“She told the CBP officers: Hey, yeah, we are actually going to Houston and it’s going to be to meet these men in Houston,” Vollmer said. “And we are going to be prostituted — we are going to engage in sexual activity for approximately $1,500.”

Material Witness 2 met Rios through a mutual friend, Vollmer said, and Rios invited her to Houston.

“It was explicitly to travel to Houston to engage in prostitution for — the original arrangements were for $2,400,” Vollmer said. “So she would keep $2,000 for three days worth of work and the mutual friend would keep $400.”

Later, though, the amount changed to $1,500, Vollmer said.

Records kept by Customs and Border Protection showed Rios and Material Witness 1 had traveled together in the past.

“Her and Material Witness 1 had made this same exact trip before,” Vollmer said. “But this was going to be the first time with this third girl — Material Witness #2.”

Rios made the arrangements.

“Her job in all of this was, basically: There’s a conspirator in Houston, and he reaches out to her whenever he wants females to escort and engage in sexual activity in Houston,” Vollmer said.

The man in Houston would send Rios money to book flights, pay for Uber trips and cover other travel expenses.

Homeland Security Investigations, which is part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, didn’t find any evidence that Rios had forced the women to engage in prostitution.

“Consent is not a defense,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell said during the hearing in April. “Just because they’re adults — and consenting adults — it is not a defense to this charge.”

Parcell compared Rios to a madam.

“There is no difference between somebody running, per se, a brothel, coordinating the money, the services. That is almost synonymous with what we have here,” Parcell said. “We have somebody who is speaking to parties in Houston, parties in Mexico. Facilitating the event. Facilitating the girls. And then facilitating the transportation of those girls into the United States, and then further to Houston.”

A grand jury charged Rios with transporting a person to engage in prostitution. She pleaded guilty and cooperated with the government.

Wearing in a black shirt with “Vogue” written on the back and imitation-leather pants, Rios returned to court Friday for sentencing.

“I understand you’ve done really good things after you were arrested,” said Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane. “So I’m going to give you the benefit of that.”

Guidelines published by the U.S. Sentencing Commission suggested 12 to 18 months in prison.

After granting a sealed motion filed by the government, Crane sentenced Rios to six months.