Human Trafficking—Prostitution

Four Mexican nationals were indicted by the US District Court in Houston for conspiring to smuggle minor Mexican girls and young Mexican women into the United States for the purpose of forcing them to engage in prostitution.^[1] Gerardo Salazar, also known as “El Gallo” (the rooster), is allegedly the ring leader of a group of men who smuggled the women into the country using deception, threat of harm, physical force, and psychological coercion; he is a fugitive and a warrant for his arrest is outstanding.^[2] Mr. Salazar’s two nephews and an associate, all of whom are illegal aliens, are in custody pending trial.

The single count indictment alleges a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1591. If you recall, we mentioned yesterday that the defendants in that case pleaded guilty to violating 18 U.S.C. § 2421, but there were a number of other applicable statutes. Section 1591 is just one of those statutes. It is a violation of section 1591 for a person to “knowingly”

• recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means a person, knowing that force, fraud, or coercion will be used to cause that person to engage in a commercial sex act;^[3]
• recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means a person who has not reached 18 years of age, and that person will be caused to engage in a commercial sex act;^[4] or
• benefit, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in such a venture.^[5]

The punishment for violating section 1591 is a fine, imprisonment for up to life, or both.^[6]

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[1] US Attorney’s Office, Press Release: Four Mexican Nationals Indicted for Sex Trafficking, Sept. 16, 2005, available here.
[2] Id.
[3] 18 U.S.C. § 1591(a)(1).
[4] Id. § 1591(a).
[5] Id. § 1591(a)(2).
[6] Id. § 1591(b)(1).