In this March 15, 2017, file photo, a Uber car drives through LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Four Houston-area men are facing federal kidnapping charges after allegedly sexually assaulting women while they worked as rideshare drivers.
One of the men, 42-year-old Abdou Mbacke, is considered a fugitive, according to federal prosecutors. He is accused of kidnapping a woman and sexually assaulting her at a Houston motel while he worked as an Uber driver in 2023.
Mbacke and the other men – 32-year-old Cesar Martell of Humble, 57-year-old Janaka Manatunga of Conroe and 35-year-old Barney Steve Flores of Tomball – were indicted by grand juries in December. Flores was arrested later that month, according to federal court records, which show that Manatunga and Martell were arrested Thursday and appeared before magistrate judges.
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The cases are part of “Operation Lighthouse,” according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
“Rideshare drivers who exploit the trust of their passengers will face the full force of law in the Southern District of Texas,” Ganjei said in a news release. “Operation Lighthouse is sending an unmistakably clear message – if you abuse your position to hurt others, we will find you, we will arrest you, we will prosecute you. Every passenger deserves to arrive at their destination safely; my office will fight to make that happen.”
The federal public defender representing Flores declined to comment. The public defender representing Manatunga did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Defense attorneys for Martell and Mbacke were not listed in online court records as of Friday.
Flores, Manatunga and Martell have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, court records show.
Martell is accused of strangling and sexually assaulting passengers in June 2021 and May 2023, according to federal court documents, which show his driver account with Uber was terminated after the second alleged victim reported the incident to the company.
Manatunga is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman in a parking garage in The Woodlands last April. That alleged incident was also reported to Uber, which terminated his driver account, court documents show.
Flores was also working as a rideshare driver when he allegedly kidnapped and assaulted a woman, according to federal prosecutors.
“Sexual assault and kidnapping are horrific crimes that have no place in our society or on the Uber platform,” an Uber spokesperson wrote in a statement to Houston Public Media. “When we became aware of these allegations, we immediately banned the drivers involved and removed their access to the app. We have a dedicated global team, including former law enforcement professionals, available 24/7 to assist with active investigations. They’ve been working with federal prosecutors and will continue to do so. Safety is fundamental to our work, and we will continue to invest in innovative safety features, support law enforcement, and take swift action whenever we receive a serious safety report.”
The U.S. Attorney’s office asked anyone with information about Mbacke’s whereabouts to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The office also encouraged victims of sexual assaults involving rideshare services to contact the FBI.