NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – A significant sentence was handed down in Brooklyn to Hugo Hernandez-Velazquez, the mastermind behind a notorious family-operated sex trafficking ring. He received a sentence of 188 months (15 years) in federal prison for his crimes, which included brutal violence and coercion, forcing victims to have abortions.
This announcement was made by the United States Attorney’s Office on Thursday.
Hernandez-Velazquez was found guilty of trafficking multiple individuals through force, fraud, and coercion. Following his prison term, he is to be deported back to Mexico, as stated in court documents.
"For nearly ten years, this defendant, with his family members, executed a ruthless campaign of sex trafficking marked by manipulation, violence, and intimidation against women," described a Special Agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The sex trafficking operation, orchestrated by Hernandez-Velazquez along with his siblings, Ernesto Giovani and Arcilia Hernandez-Velazquez, primarily targeted victims in New York and extended its reach to surrounding states like New Jersey and Connecticut. Investigations revealed their operations even spread to states such as Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida.
Victims were lured with false promises of romantic relationships and a better life, only to be pressured into traveling to the U.S. from Mexico. Upon arrival, they were forced into prostitution. The Hernandez-Velazquez family enforced their control through physical abuse, threats, and coercion, compelling victims to endure abortions and continue working in their exploitative conditions.
Additionally, co-defendants Ernesto and Giovanni Hernandez-Velazquez were each sentenced to 210 months in prison for their involvement in this heinous operation.