Authorities in Houston have arrested Felix Bustillo Diaz, 49, and Jose Gerber-Rivera, 45, for repeatedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl who was smuggled into the U.S. during the Obama administration. Diaz, a Honduran national with a criminal history, had been granted Temporary Protected Status, later terminated, and was acting as the girl’s sponsor. Rivera, a Salvadoran national, allegedly assisted Diaz in the repeated assaults. The arrests, made by ICE HSI Houston and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, accoding to the U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement.
After escaping her abusers, the 12-year-old girl was deceived by Brenda Garcia and Tania Garcia, who claimed they would rescue her. Instead, the two women allegedly subjected the girl to beatings, torture, malnourishment, and forced labor. Both women were arrested by HSI Houston and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony injury to a child, unlawful restraint, and invasive visual recording. The arrests were made separately from those of Felix Bustillo Diaz and Jose Gerber-Rivera, with Rivera apprehended last Tuesday and Diaz transferred into Harris County Sheriff’s Office custody last Wednesday, as reported by the U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement.
Local law enforcement has reacted strongly to an ongoing investigation involving serious allegations. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez stated, "Arresting violent people who seek to prey on our most vulnerable residents is our top priority, and the allegations in this case are especially disturbing." Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle described the crimes as, "The details of this investigation are deeply disturbing and represent some of the most evil criminal behavior in our society." Authorities are urging the public to report any suspected cases of minor sexual exploitation to local law enforcement or to HSI at 1-866-DHS-2423, as mentioned by the U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement.
