Federal prosecutors have charged three illegal immigrants in Louisiana with running a sex trafficking ring that used WhatsApp to offer a ‘menu’ of women for sex acts, with clients paying between $40 to $60. The suspects, Zaira Lopez-Oliva, Kirsis Castellanos-Kirington, and Jesus Lopez, allegedly coordinated the operation through the messaging app, forcing women into prostitution and subjecting victims to threats of violence.
According to court documents, the trafficking operation was uncovered after an FBI source provided screenshots of messages from Jesus Lopez, known as ‘El Perro,’ who sent pictures of scantily clad women available for sexual encounters. The victims, including some illegal immigrants themselves, were allegedly forced into prostitution and subjected to threats of violence by the traffickers.
The operation, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reportedly involved the transport of victims to and from the New Orleans Airport by Lopez-Oliva. The traffickers allegedly exploited victims by withholding pay and threatening them with severe consequences if they tried to escape. The victims were told they would not be paid on certain days and would only keep a fraction of the money earned from clients.
The charges against the three suspects include sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, as well as aiding and abetting. The case highlights the role of digital communication in facilitating modern sex trafficking operations and the vulnerabilities faced by undocumented immigrants in such networks.