Three undocumented immigrants in Louisiana have been implicated in a sex trafficking operation, allegedly using WhatsApp to provide a “menu” of women to potential clients aged 18, according to federal prosecutors.
Zyla López Oliva, Kyrsis Castellanos Killington, and Jesus López, referred to as “El Perro,” were arrested in October for their roles in this operation based in Baton Rouge.
Authorities stated that they received tips leading to the FBI, which viewed screenshots of WhatsApp messages showing El Perro sending images of scantily clad women who purportedly consented to engage in sexual acts. However, prosecutors contend that these women were coerced into sex with men who paid between $40 and $60.
Castellanos-Killington and López-Oliva are said to have assisted López in various functions of the trafficking operation.
Prosecutors allege that López-Oliva helped transport one of the victims to the New Orleans airport, where surveillance footage reportedly shows him riding in a pickup truck with López.
The complaint suggests that the clientele of the sex trafficking ring ranged in age from 18 to 60 years old.
When federal agents executed a raid on the operational base, they discovered a victim facing financial hardship who had obtained López’s contact information through a friend. Upon arrival in Louisiana, she was allegedly told she would have to perform a sexual act on a male client. At least two victims interviewed were also undocumented immigrants.
One victim informed prosecutors that she was not paid on Mondays and Tuesdays and that if a customer paid $40, she received only $20, with the remaining amount going to López.
Another victim recounted that she “wasn’t allowed to leave the house or inform anyone about what she was doing,” adding that if she did, López would “kill her.”
All three suspects face charges of aiding and abetting sex trafficking, along with aiding and abetting through force, fraud, and coercion.
