HOUSTON, Texas — A Houston gang leader has pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking Central American women and forcing them into prostitution.
William Alberto Lopez admitted to one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force and one count of aiding and abetting sex trafficking.
His plea, entered in federal court last week, suggests he may face a prison sentence of 15 years or more.
Lopez’s arrest by Mexican authorities in April 2018 followed a grand jury indictment that charged him and 22 others with crimes including sex trafficking, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and identity theft.
The indictment linked Lopez and his family to the Southwest Cholos gang, which prosecutors say operated brothels in Houston’s Gulfton area.
Court documents reveal that Lopez coordinated the smuggling of at least four women from Mexico to the United States between 2010 and 2017.
One woman was deceived into believing she could repay a $4,500 smuggling fee by working at a restaurant owned by Lopez’s mother, Maria Angelica Moreno-Reyna.
Upon arriving in Houston, the woman was forced into sex work instead.
Prosecutors detailed a pattern of abuse and coercion, including threats against the women and their families.
Victims were forced to tattoo Lopez’s initials on their bodies as a mark of ownership.
In one case, a woman was coerced into sex work after fleeing from Lopez’s brothel in Cancun, Mexico, and being threatened with harm to her family.
In 2017, law enforcement intercepted a wiretapped call between Lopez and his mother discussing plans to smuggle more women into the U.S. Authorities acted quickly, relocating the women’s sisters before Lopez could carry out the plan.
Other victims faced threats of deportation or were coerced into undergoing cosmetic surgery to increase their earnings for the trafficking ring.
Investigators linked three Houston properties to the operation, including a bar used to attract customers and two locations where trafficked women were housed.
Lopez’s mother and four brothers have also pleaded guilty to charges related to the case.
Of the 23 individuals indicted, 19 have entered plea agreements, while four remain fugitives.
Sentencing for Lopez and others is expected to proceed following final approval of the plea agreement by U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge.
