Mexican Woman Admits to Trafficking Scheme – Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison

Porfiria Ramos Sanchez, a Mexican national, has pleaded guilty to charges of human trafficking and labor exploitation. She could face up to ten years in prison for these crimes, according to the Federal Prosecutor's Office of Connecticut. Sanchez is charged with conspiring to transport and harbor at least 18 undocumented individuals.

The case came to light in September 2022 when the FBI and Hartford, Connecticut police interviewed a group of Mexicans who admitted they were smuggled from Mexico to the US by Sanchez. Investigations revealed that the victims had agreed to pay Sanchez and her accomplices between $15,000 and $20,000 each for their illegal entry into the United States. In most cases, the victims also had to provide a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico.

Upon arrival in Connecticut, the victims were informed that their debt had increased to $30,000 plus interest. They were also charged additional fees for rent, food, and gasoline, among other expenses. Sanchez's accomplices provided the victims with counterfeit documents, such as permanent resident cards and social security cards, and assisted them in finding jobs in the Hartford area.

Some victims were also forced to perform unpaid domestic and gardening tasks without any reduction in their debt. If the victims failed to make the payments or fell short of the expected amount, they were threatened with harm to their relatives in Mexico, loss of their collateral property, reporting to immigration authorities, or an increase in their debt interest.

Sanchez is set to be sentenced on January 6th. As part of her plea agreement, she will compensate the victims with $494,608. To cover this amount, she and her husband have agreed to sell a property they own in Hartford.