Maria Botello-Morales, Sex Trafficking with Force, Texas 2024

HOUSTON — A 56-year-old woman who illegally resided in Houston, Maria Botello-Morales, has pleaded guilty to running a brutal sex trafficking operation out of a backroom in a local cantina, forcing women — including a minor — into commercial sex acts under threats of violence. Botello-Morales admitted to sex trafficking with force, fraud or coercion, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of a minor, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Beginning in 2007, Botello-Morales recruited a teenage girl from Mexico and exploited her in commercial sex, collecting payments directly from buyers. Years later, from 2015 to 2020, she operated Puerto Algre, a Houston cantina where she oversaw a network of women forced into prostitution. Backrooms were constructed specifically for the purpose, and victims were forced to charge $70 per encounter, spend no more than 15 minutes with each customer, and hand over all cash to guards stationed outside the rooms.

Victims, many of whom were initially hired as waitresses, said Botello-Morales quickly demanded they begin performing commercial sex acts. Refusal was met with threats of violence. Several reported witnessing weapons and physical assaults inside the bar and back areas. One woman said when she refused to come to work, Botello-Morales sent someone to physically attack her — a chilling example of the control she maintained.

“Sex trafficking takes many forms. Violators can be male or female, young or old,” said U.S. Attorney Hamdani. “Trafficking is as diverse as the population of this district, and we will work side by side with our partners and continue to root out this evil that is nothing less than a scourge on our society.”

U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen accepted the guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for June. Botello-Morales, who has been and will remain in federal custody, faces up to life in prison. The case was investigated by the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the Houston Police Department (HPD), as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is prosecuting.

HTRA, formed in 2004 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Houston, unites federal, state, and local law enforcement — including FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Texas Rangers, and multiple county sheriff’s offices — with victim service providers like YMCA and United Against Human Trafficking. Recognized as a national and international model, HTRA targets traffickers while delivering critical support to survivors.

RELATED: Maria Botello-Morales Guilty in Houston Sex Trafficking Ring

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Human Trafficking

Raymorris Asencio, Human Trafficking, Mississippi 2018

Jul 27, 2018

Human Trafficking

Samantha Sanders, Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Texas 2019

Jul 11, 2019

Human Trafficking

Spies, Scoundrels, and Showgirls: Tales from the Underbelly of the American West

Mar 6, 1911

Human Trafficking

Hui Weng, Alien Harboring, Mississippi 2024

Jan 31, 2023