In a harrowing case in McAllen, Texas, a local cantina owner and her son have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in the sex trafficking of a young girl. The U.S. Attorney's office in the Southern District of Texas disclosed that Rita Martinez, 65, and her son Genaro Fuentes, 41, were handed significant prison terms for crimes that a judge described as the workings of people with "evil in their hearts."
Rita Martinez's sentence spans three decades, with the court mandating a 360-month term of imprisonment. Her son is set to serve for 72 months. According to the statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s office, both Martinez and Fuentes were also ordered to pay hundreds of thousands in restitution to their victims, specifically $840,000 and $20,000, respectively. Additionally, assets related to their crimes, including the bar operated by Martinez, have been forfeited.
At the sentencing, it was revealed that Martinez had trafficked a girl from Mexico who was only 12 years old at the time she was brought to the United States and turned into a sex worker at Martinez's cantina. The cantina, which operated under various names like Perez Lounge, Rita's Lounge, and Rita's Sports Bar, served as the front for Martinez's longstanding criminal enterprise. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani brought attention to the cruel predicament of the young victims, asserting that "Martinez treated the victims like chattel while physically and psychologically imprisoning them." Hamdani's remarks underscore the gravity of the situation and the justice served by the court's decision.
"Today's sentence ensures the only person left imprisoned, for decades to come, is Martinez and sends a strong message to human traffickers moonlighting as bar owners: you’re next," Hamdani declared, as mentioned in the statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s office. The case brings to light the sinister nature of human trafficking under the guise of hospitality. Martinez capitalized on the vulnerability of her victims, enticing them with false hopes of a better life across the border, only to subsequently coerce them into commercial sexual exploitation.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division reiterated the department's commitment to rooting out human trafficking and pursuing justice for survivors. "Human trafficking cannot be tolerated," Clarke said, emphasizing the department's ongoing efforts to counter such heinous offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Currently, both Martinez and Fuentes are in custody pending their transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined soon. This case was led by the FBI, with valuable support from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). The public has been urged to report any information related to human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
