A Mexican girl legally residing within the U.S. has pleaded responsible to prostituting an underage lady out of her Texas restaurant, based on federal prosecutors.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas mentioned Rita Martinez, 65, admitted final week to sexually soliciting a 16-year-old Mexican lady to male patrons at her cantina in Mission, Texas.

The lady, who lived with Martinez from the spring 2005 till fall 2006, was despatched with males from the cantina to interact in paid intercourse acts.

Prosecutors mentioned Martinez admitted to accepting funds from the lads earlier than she allow them to take the lady for sexual favors. Martinez then used the cash to pay down a smuggling debt the lady incurred with the intention to be introduced over from Mexico.

“Behind her cantina, Rita Martinez tormented and forced young migrant women and girls into sexual acts, acts with Rita’s male patrons,” mentioned U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “No one should have to endure that kind of treatment.”

A federal grand jury initially indicted Martinez in February 2022 for coercing 10 victims — each adults and minors — to be prostitutes at her enterprise.

The indictment accused Martinez of saddling the victims with “impossibly high debts” and threatening to report them to immigration. She was additionally accused of humiliating the women and dragging them by their hair in the event that they didn’t comply with her orders.

Further, Martinez was accused of withholding the ladies’s entry to their kids and demanding that they work extra to help their children.    

Genaro Fuentes, Martinez’s 41-year-old son, additionally pleaded responsible to at least one rely of intercourse trafficking a minor in January. He was accused within the indictment of sexually assaulting the cantina’s prostitutes as properly.

Martinez ran the cantina from 2000 to 2019. She faces a minimal sentence of 10 years in jail for her crimes.

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