3 Salvadoran men each sentenced to more than 27 years in federal prison for their roles in an international child sex-trafficking conspiracy

HOUSTON — The first three of six men convicted for their roles in an international child sex-trafficking conspiracy were each sentenced Tuesday to more than 27 years in federal prison.

These sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. This investigation was conducted by the FBI, Harris County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Jose William Quintanilla, 41, pleaded guilty just as trial testimony was set to begin Nov. 12, 2015. Adelio De Jesus Batres, 53, and Hugo Alexander Melendez-Gonzalez, 38, had pleaded guilty prior to trial.  Melendez-Gonzalez, Quintanilla and Batres were sentenced to 327 months, 360 months and 330 months in federal prison, respectively.

The three defendants yet to be sentenced had previously entered guilty pleas in the case: Francis Yuvinni Guerra Pleitez, 34, Walter Alexander Ejcalon Xalcut, 27, and Mariano Quintanilla-Campos, 33.

U.S. District Judge Hittner also ordered the three sentenced men to pay $90,110 in restitution to the victims. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hittner noted that he wanted each of the defendants to be “thrown out of the country,” after they serve their prison sentences. All are Salvadoran citizens who had been residing in the Houston area and are expected to face deportation proceedings after they’re released from prison.

Pleitz, Quintanilla-Campos and Xalcut are set to be sentenced Aug. 17, 18 and 19, respectively. Pleitz and Quintanilla-Campos are also from El Salvador; Zalcut is from Guatemala.

Court records showed that from late 2010 to the present, the men conspired to cause minors to engage in commercial sex acts. The men employed women and underage girls, transported them to various apartments to engage in sex, and shared the proceeds derived from the illegal activity. Most, if not all, of the females were also aliens illegally present in the U.S.

With the exception of Melendez-Gonzalez, who admitted to sex trafficking a particular minor, the remaining defendants were all convicted of engaging in the overall child sex-trafficking conspiracy.

All of the defendants had been and will remain in custody.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Searle and Douglas Davis, Southern District of Texas, are prosecuting this case.