Attorney General Ken Paxton has once again made headlines with the arrest of eight individuals tied to the illicit operations of Houston-based clinics performing illegal abortions without proper medical licensing. The crackdown comes after Maria Rojas, alleged to have posed as a physician, was indicted on multiple felony counts including the illegal performance of an abortion and practicing medicine without a license.
In a statement, Paxton condemned the actions of those involved stating, "This cabal of abortion-loving radicals has been running illegal clinics staffed with unlicensed individuals who endangered the very people they pretended to help." He further assured that his office would continue to enforce Texas's stringent pro-life laws and hold accountable anyone found to be in violation. According to the press release, several of the arrests were of foreign nationals associated with the clinics.
Rojas, 49, was the first person charged under new Texas laws that strictly regulate abortion procedures. Following her indictment, additional individuals suspected of practicing medicine without certification were apprehended. These new indictments reflect the continued expansion of the investigation surrounding Rojas' operations in Waller, Cypress, Spring, and Katy areas.
Among those arrested were Yaimara Hernandez Alvarez, Alina Valeron Leon, Dalia Coromoto Yanez, Yhonder Lebrun Acosta, Liunet Grandales Estrada, Gerardo Otero Aguero, Sabiel Bosch Gongora, and Jose Manuel Cendan Ley. Waller County grand jury has charged these individuals with operating under Rojas, engaging in the illicit practice of medicine. Current Texas statutes impose criminal charges on individuals involved with unauthorized abortions, delineating these acts as felonies outside of certain medical emergency contexts.
