Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has apprehended an illegal alien previously convicted of operating a criminal trafficking network that exploited underage girls through coercion and threats. The arrest was announced Thursday and is part of a broader effort by federal authorities to remove dangerous individuals who pose a threat to public safety.
The individual arrested, Rafael Alberto Cadena-Sosa of Mexico, had been living in the United States illegally. Alongside family members, Cadena-Sosa orchestrated a trafficking ring based in Miami, Florida, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Federal investigators revealed that the group targeted vulnerable girls in Veracruz, Mexico, some as young as 14 years old, with false promises of work opportunities in the United States.
Once the victims arrived, they were not given employment, but instead were subjected to forced labor under extreme conditions. Authorities report that these girls were made to work up to 12 hours a day, six days a week. They were controlled through violence, intimidation, and threats of harm to their families. Cadena-Sosa and his associates also placed the victims in debt for transportation, further restricting their freedom.
In 2015, Cadena-Sosa pleaded guilty to charges related to forced labor. Despite his conviction, he remained in the U.S. illegally until ICE agents located and arrested him as part of an enforcement operation.
“These crimes against humanity and atrocities he committed against young girls are unspeakable,” said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
ICE also arrested Lucia Sanchez-Barrientos of Mexico, convicted of human smuggling in Texas, and Jose Luisa Vazquez-Olvera, a Mexican national convicted of drug manufacturing and distribution. Additional arrests included individuals convicted of cocaine trafficking in Georgia and burglary in North Carolina.
McLaughlin noted that ICE agents are continuing to face increased threats but remain committed to their mission. “Despite facing an 8,000% increase in threats against their lives, ICE is not backing down.”
