Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Wednesday the arrest of eight individuals linked to a midwife from the Houston area accused of conducting illegal abortions. These arrests are part of a broader investigation into Maria Margarita Rojas, 49, who was initially charged under the Texas Life Protection Act in early 2025.
In his online statement, Paxton described the arrested group as “a cabal of abortion-loving extremists” who he believes have endangered those they claimed to help.
Rojas is facing 15 felony charges, which include three counts related to performing an abortion and 12 for practicing medicine without a license. The case against her is ongoing.
The eight individuals charged were identified as Yaymara Hernández Alvarez, Alina Valerón León, Daria Coromoto Yanez, Yonder Lebrun Acosta, Liunet Grandares Estrada, Gerardo Otero Aguero, Xavier Bosch Góngora, and Jose Manuel Cendão Rey. They were reportedly affiliated with Rojas’s clinics located in Waller, Cypress, Spring, and Katy.
Paxton, who is currently campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat, emphasized his dedication to enforcing Texas’s stringent abortion laws, which he labeled as “not only illegal, but evil.” He stated firmly, “These dens of fake doctors will not be allowed to operate in Texas.” He reiterated his commitment to protecting innocent lives and ensuring that those responsible will face consequences.
The Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Rojas in a separate civil lawsuit, has condemned the charges as a “sham.” Senior Counsel Jenna Hudson remarked that this legal action is part of Texas’s broader “campaign of fear” against health care providers.
Hudson accused Paxton of targeting Rojas and her clinics at a time of rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the country, asserting that Rojas is a licensed midwife dedicated to supporting pregnant patients. Hudson criticized the closure of clinics providing legal and affordable services to low-income, uninsured immigrants, suggesting that such actions are unjustifiable.
