During an investigation into a street shooting, officials in Pennsylvania took down two alleged sex trafficking rings that were forcing women into prostitution.
Police in Norristown, Pennsylvania, caught the alleged sex traffickers after being called to investigate the shooting of Fernando Meza-Ramirez, 42, who was found wounded in a Toyota RAV4 on February 13.
Meza-Ramirez, who turned out to be a Mexican national in the U.S. illegally and living in New York City, had been shot in the thigh, according to WCAU-TV.
The wounded man told police that he had driven to Norristown from New York when someone in a white Acura TLX drove up next to hm and opened fire.
But as investigators from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office and Norristown Police began looking into the case, they reportedly began seeing signs that Meza-Ramirez was running prostitutes between New York and Norristown. Investigators say that the suspect even had business cards with nude women printed on them.
Investigators further discovered that Meza-Ramirez was in a turf war with a man living in Norristown, Efran Flores-Rodriguez, who was also allegedly running prostitutes there.
Police say that witnesses identified Flores-Rodriguez as the occupant of the Acura and the man who opened fire on Meza-Ramirez.
Police raided the home of Flores-Rodriguez and found illegal firearms and a woman they say was one of his prostitutes.
The woman found in the home told police that Flores-Rodriguez obtained clients for her and that she used to work for Meza-Ramirez as well.
Both men were arrested and charged with “trafficking individuals” and other crimes and will next appear in court on April 10.
Officials in Louisiana also busted an alleged sex trafficking ring run by illegals when investigators in New Orleans arrested three Honduran nationals who were advertising women for prostitution over WhatsApp.
An indictment says that Jesus Lopez, 45; Zaira Lopez-Oliva, 24; and Kirsis Castellanos-Kirington, 30, were offering sexual services for between $40 and $60 from women who were trafficked from places including New Jersey and Houston, Texas.
The three illegal migrants were indicted on November 19 and are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Louisiana.
If convicted of the sex trafficking charges, each defendant faces a minimum of fifteen years and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. They are also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing any sentences imposed.
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