4 Houston residents sentenced to federal prison for sex trafficking minors

HOUSTON — Four Houston residents were sentenced Monday to federal prison for their roles in sex trafficking minors.

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

Following a bench trial June 19, 2015, Luisa Vargas, a U.S. permanent resident residing in Houston, was convicted of sex trafficking a minor and harboring illegal aliens.  The following other three defendants had previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking minors: Dolores Vargas, also a U.S. permanent resident in Houston; Blasina Vargas, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Houston; and Ignacio Escandon, a citizen of Cuba.

On Feb. 22, U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes sentenced Luisa Vargas to 120 months in federal prison. Blasina Vargas and Dolores Vargas each received sentences of 60 months; Escandon will serve 87-months in prison.

From at least February 2012, the defendants employed women and a girl less than 18 years old as prostitutes in the Westview apartments, which was being used as a brothel. These women and the young girl were instructed how much money to charge their clients for commercial sex.  About half of the proceeds were given to the defendants. As a general practice, the price paid was $40 for 15 minutes of sex. The defendants knew that most, if not all, of the ladies employed for the purpose of prostitution were illegal aliens in the United States.

All four convicted defendants will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the future.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Doug Davis and Julie Searle, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.