Five Charged with Sex Trafficking

Five Atlanta men were arraigned yesterday and are being charged with human trafficking.

Juan Cortes-Meza, 31, Francisco "Paco" Cortes-Meza, 25, Amador "Javier" Cortes-Meza, 34, and Raul "Oscar" Cortes-Meza, 21, and Edison "Caruso" W. Rosa Tort, 69 were all pleaded not guilty.

“Human trafficking violates basic human rights and will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias.

According to Nahamias the men brought 10 women to the U.S. and forced them to work as prostitutes. The 10 victims include three young women who allegedly were compelled to engage in commercial sex acts against their will by the defendants through force, fraud and coercion, and four victims who were under the age of 18.

“Compelling women by force, fraud or coercion, or girls under the age of 18, to engage in commercial sex acts is a serious violation of federal law. The victimization of the young women in this case was unfortunately made easier by their illegal status, unfamiliarity with U.S. laws, and fear of law enforcement instilled in them by the traffickers,” said Nahamias.

According to court records, the men smuggled some of the young women into the U.S. and transporting them from the Mexican border to the Atlanta area, where they were housed in Norcross and Cartersville.

“These victims were lured from their homes with a promise of a better life; instead, they were forced or coerced into prostitution. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will continue working with nongovernmental organizations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify and charge criminals engaged in these heinous activities and to rescue their victims,” said Kenneth A. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Office of Investigations in Atlanta.

According to the indictment, Juan Cortes-Meza, Amador Cortes-Meza And Francisco Cortes-Meza would become the young woman’s boyfriend or promise her work in a restaurant or cleaning houses in the United States in order to obtain her agreement to be smuggled into the country.

The indictment also alleges that the men would physically abuse the young women. Some of the women were beaten, or their families in Mexico were threatened. The men also lived with the women and would directly monitor their prostitution work. Some of the victims were not allowed to leave the home alone.

Tort and Raul Cortes-Meza are charged with driving the women to various places to meet “clients”. The women had sex with 20 - 30 men a night, charging $25, all of which went to the drivers and traffickers.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with assistance from the Bartow County Task Force, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gwinnett County Police Department, Special Investigations Vice Unit. Civil Rights Attorney Karima Maloney is prosecuting the case.