EL PASO, Texas — A year-long investigation into human trafficking in El Paso County has led to several arrests, including that of an attorney believed to be representing some of the accused. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Investigations Division (CID), in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), uncovered an international network of human smugglers and traffickers.
The investigation revealed that female victims from Cuba were forced into prostitution to pay off smugglers after being brought into the United States. Nine individuals were arrested on charges including prostitution, aggravated promotion of prostitution, and engaging in organized criminal activity, according to a press release from the DPS West Texas Region.
Mario Ortiz Saroldi, a 51-year-old attorney from El Paso, was among those arrested. He was charged with solicitation of prostitution after allegedly soliciting clients for sexual acts. Yasiel Rodriguez-Amaro, 31, and Katherine Ventura-Amaro, 37, both of El Paso, were also arrested for aggravated promotion of prostitution and other charges. All were booked into the El Paso County Jail.
The investigation is ongoing, and no further information, including the names of other individuals arrested, is available at this time, stated the source.