Mexican Sex Trafficker Sentenced
A Mexican man has received a 15-year prison sentence for his role in operating violent prostitution rings across the United States over the span of nearly a decade.
Hugo Hernandez Belazuquez pleaded guilty last Thursday to one charge of sex trafficking, having led an organization that utilized “power, fraud, and coercion” to force young Mexican women into prostitution in the U.S.
The Department of Justice announced that his operation was aided by his brothers, Ernesto, Giovanni, and Arceria Hernandez Belazuquez.
“Members of the family organization coaxed victims into romantic relationships by making false promises of love and support, leading them to travel to the U.S. with hopes of a better life,” the press release indicated.
This family’s criminal network trafficked women in various states, including New York, Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
“The defendant subjected victims to physical assaults and forced abortions, while also threatening violence against their families to compel them to continue prostitution on his behalf,” the release continued.
The sex trafficking ring that Hernandez led started in 2001 and operated until 2009.
He was extradited from Mexico to the U.S. in February 2021 and is set to be deported after serving his sentence.
“For nearly a decade, the defendant and his family orchestrated a brutal sex trafficking scheme steeped in violence and manipulation, ensnaring women under the guise of love and support,” remarked special agent Ricky J. Patel.
“Every day, victims are often targeted for human trafficking and other forms of exploitation and abuse, often by those they should be able to trust. Today’s verdict is a testament to the bravery of every survivor who spoke out,” he added.
A U.S. district court has previously sentenced Hernandez Belazuquez’s brothers, both of whom also pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges. Ernesto and Giovanni received sentences of 210 months each, while Arcelia Hernandez Belazuquez, who admitted to violating the Mann Act, was sentenced to about 60 months in prison.
