Maria Botello-Morales, Sex Trafficking by Force, Texas 2015

HOUSTON — A 56-year-old woman who operated a sex trafficking ring out of a Houston cantina’s backroom has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges, including sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and trafficking of a minor. Maria Botello-Morales, who resided illegally in the U.S., admitted to running the operation at Puerto Algre from 2015 to 2020, exploiting women under the threat of violence.

Botello-Morales began her criminal enterprise as early as 2007, when she recruited a minor female from Mexico and forced her into commercial sex, collecting payments directly from buyers. At Puerto Algre, she transformed backrooms into illicit sex zones where female employees, initially hired as waitresses, were coerced into prostitution. Refusal meant threats, intimidation, and in at least one case, physical assault sent by Botello-Morales herself.

Victims recounted a brutal routine: each encounter was capped at 15 minutes, charged at $70 per session. Women were handed a condom wrapped in a paper towel and escorted to and from the rooms by guards. The cash changed hands immediately upon exit—funneled straight into Botello-Morales’ pocket. Weapons were seen. Violence was witnessed. Compliance was enforced.

“Sex trafficking takes many forms. Violators can be male or female, young or old,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. 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 faces up to life in prison and will remain in federal custody until that date. The case was investigated by Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with support from the Houston Police Department 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, Texas Rangers, IRS-CI, and multiple county agencies—with victim service providers like YMCA and United Against Human Trafficking. Recognized nationally and internationally, HTRA has become a model for dismantling trafficking networks while delivering critical support to survivors.

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