JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT
OF THREE BROTHERS ON SEX TRAFFICKING CHARGES

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced three indictments on sex trafficking charges. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia William S. Duffey, Jr. and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin L. Perkins announced the indictments of brothers Juan Reyes Rojas, Jose Reyes Rojas and Raul Reyes Rojas for trafficking young girls from Mexico into the United States and forcing them into prostitution.

The 11-count indictment charges the Reyes Rojas brothers with conspiracy, sex trafficking, importing and harboring aliens for the purpose of prostitution, alien smuggling and interstate transportation of illegal aliens. The indictment specifically alleges that the women were enticed with promises of legitimate employment and marriage; that they were smuggled from Mexico into the Atlanta area; that they were then forced into prostitution through physical violence, threats, and psychological coercion; that they were compelled to have sex with numerous men daily and that the defendants retained all of the proceeds. At least one of the victims identified in the indictment was a minor when trafficked into the United States.

The defendants are Mexican nationals. Juan and Jose Reyes Rojas are presently in federal custody. Based on the charges in the indictment, the Reyes Rojas brothers each face a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

Addressing the global problem of human trafficking has been a priority of the Justice Department and the Bush Administration. Since January 2001, federal prosecutors have convicted 111 human traffickers in 36 cases, including 79 traffickers convicted of sex trafficking.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia jointly investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Plummer and Trial Attorney Seth Rosenthal of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will prosecute this case.

Additional information regarding human trafficking and federal enforcement efforts is available at <http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/tpwetf.htm> and <http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/index.html>. Information regarding the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is available at <http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan>.

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