Mexican woman charged with sex trafficking

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained a Mexican madam and two prostitutes on Wednesday, when they attempted to fly from McAllen to Houston, according to a criminal complaint.

Jaqueline Rios Garcia De La Cadena, 33, of Mexico and two women — identified in the complaint as “Witness 1” and “Witness 2” — crossed the Hidalgo-Reynosa bridge on Wednesday morning.

Witness 1, a Mexican woman in her 20s, said Rios Garcia “was organizing the trip to Houston, Texas, to engage in prostitution,” according to the criminal complaint, and expected to earn $1,500.

Officers also questioned Witness 2, a Mexican woman in her 20s, who told a similar story.

Witness 1 and Witness 2 said Rios Garcia had “paid for transportation to the U.S. border, and purchased plane tickets for them from McAllen, Texas, to Houston Texas,” according to the criminal complaint.

The federal courthouse in McAllen. (Photo by Mark Munoz / CBS 4 News.)

At first, Rios Garcia denied knowing Witness 1 and Witness 2.

They split up before crossing the bridge, according to the criminal complaint, apparently to avoid suspicion.

Later, though, Rios Garcia admitted that she knew Witness 1 and Witness 2.

Rios Garcia confessed that she had “arranged for Witness #1 and Witness #2 to have sex with persons in Houston for $2,400.00 over the course of three days,” according to the criminal complaint.

Witness 1 and Witness 2 knew about the plan, Rios Garcia said, according to the criminal complaint, and had agreed to go.

Customs and Border Protection contacted Homeland Security Investigations, which is part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

When they searched her phone, agents found messages between Rios Garcia and Witness 1 “organizing the trip,” according to the criminal complaint.

Rios Garcia is charged with transportation for illegal sexual activity. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.