Texas authorities have indicted eight individuals accused of operating a clandestine network of unlicensed abortion centers in the Houston area, charging them with practicing medicine without a license. It’s a scheme that pro-life advocates say systematically ended the lives of unborn children in violation of the state’s protective laws.
The arrests, announced Wednesday by Attorney General Ken Paxton, culminate a months-long investigation into an underground operation that authorities say preyed on vulnerable women while flouting Texas’ abortion ban.
Led by a self-styled midwife posing as a doctor, the illegal abortion operation involved performing illegal abortions at makeshift centers in Waller, Cypress, Spring and Katy, according to Paxton’s office.
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“This cabal of abortion-loving radicals has been running illegal clinics staffed with unlicensed individuals who endangered the very people they pretended to help. Beyond being illegal, it is evil. These dens of fake doctors will not be allowed to operate in Texas. Those responsible will be held accountable. I will always protect innocent life and use every tool to enforce Texas’s pro-life laws,” Paxton said in a statement.
Several of the defendants are foreign nationals, and all face felony charges that could result in up to 20 years in prison if convicted, Paxton’s office said.
At the center of the probe is 49-year-old Maria Rojas, known as “Dr. Maria,” who was arrested in March and now faces 15 felony counts, including one for the unlawful performance of an abortion and 12 counts of practicing medicine without a license.
Prosecutors described the charges against Rojas as the first criminal case brought under the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021, a landmark law designed to safeguard women and their unborn babies from the harms of abortion.
The newly-indicted affiliates — 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 — are accused of working under Rojas’ direction to carry out the illicit abortions killing babies.
The operation violated civil penalties of at least $100,000 per illegal abortion, underscoring the severity of the crimes against babies.
Court orders have shuttered the rogue facilities and prohibited Rojas and her associates from conducting abortions pending trial, a move hailed by pro-life leaders as a vital step in dismantling networks that exploit desperation and endanger public health. The investigation revealed a pattern of deception, with unlicensed staff masquerading as medical professionals to evade the state’s robust protections for the unborn.
Pro-life advocates celebrated the indictments as a resounding victory for the sanctity of life, emphasizing that such operations not only kill babies but also pose grave risks to women’s safety through unregulated and dangerous procedures. They urged other states to emulate Texas’ aggressive enforcement of life-affirming statutes.
The case highlights Texas’ steadfast commitment to upholding its pro-life laws amid ongoing national debates over abortion restrictions. As the trials unfold, authorities vowed to continue pursuing any similar shadowy enterprises that threaten the foundational right to life.
