Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrests of eight individuals Wednesday in a sweeping crackdown on a network of unlicensed abortion centers in the Houston area.
The move exposes what pro-life advocates hail as a brazen operation endangering women and killing babies in defiance of the state’s life-affirming laws.
The indictments cap a months-long investigation that began with the March arrest of 49-year-old midwife Maria Rojas, known as “Dr. Maria,” who authorities say posed as a physician to perform illegal abortions. Rojas now faces 15 felony counts, including one for the unlawful performance of an abortion and 12 counts of practicing medicine without a license — marking the first criminal charges under Texas’ near-total abortion ban enacted to protect women and babies.
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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.
The eight newly arrested 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 — were indicted for practicing medicine without a license under Rojas’ direction. Several are foreign nationals, according to Paxton’s office, and all are accused of aiding the underground network that operated dangerous illegal abortion centers in Waller, Cypress, Spring, and Katy.
Pro-life leaders praised the action as a critical victory in safeguarding vulnerable women from the dangers of unregulated procedures and upholding the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021. Under the law, illegal abortions carry civil penalties of at least $100,000 per violation, while criminal convictions for unlawful performance — a second-degree felony — can result in up to 20 years in prison.
Court orders have shuttered the centers and barred Rojas and her associates from doing abortions pending trial, ensuring no further harm to mothers or their preborn children.
Paxton’s office emphasized that the probe uncovered a pattern of deception, with unlicensed staff masquerading as medical professionals to skirt Texas’ pro-life protections. The bust underscores Texas’ unwavering commitment to defending the sanctity of life, as authorities continue to root out shadowy operations that exploit desperation while flouting the law.
Pro-life groups called on other states to follow suit, warning that such networks pose grave risks to public health and the foundational right to life.
