Case Law Database

Trafficking in persons

United States v. Carreto et al

Fact Summary

Between 1991 and 2004, Josue Flores Carreto, Gerardo Flores Carreto, and Daniel Perez Alonso, were members of a criminal organization that obliged young Mexican women into prostitution through force, fraud, and coercion. The men recruited young, uneducated women, from impoverished backgrounds from Mexico, smuggled them to the United States, and forced them to engage in prostitution in the New York City metropolitan area. The men physically and sexually assaulted their victims, used threats of physical harm and restraint in order to force the women to commit acts of prostitution. The women were beaten for hiding money, disobeying their orders, and failing to earn enough money. The defendants and their associates confiscated all of the victim’s earnings. On November 16, 2004, a federal grand jury returned a 27-count indictment, charging Josue Flores Carreto, Gerardo Flores Carreto, Daniel Perez Alonso, Defendant 5, Consuelo Carreto Valencia, and Maria De Los Angeles Velasquez Reyes with multiple offenses including conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; sex trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1591; transporting for prostitution, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2421; importation of an alien for immoral purposes, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1328; and alien smuggling, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324. Two other members of the criminal organization, Eloy Carreto Reyes, and Edith Mosquera de Flores, were charged separately.

Keywords

Trafficking in Persons Protocol:
Article 3, Trafficking in Persons Protocol
Article 5, Trafficking in Persons Protocol
Acts:
Recruitment
Transportation
Means:
Threat or use of force or other forms of coercion
Abduction
Abuse of power or a position of vulnerability
Purpose of Exploitation:
Exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation
Form of Trafficking:
Organized Criminal Group
Sector in which exploitation takes place:
Commercial sexual exploitation

Cross-Cutting Issues

Gender Equality Considerations

Details

• Female principal offender

Procedural Information

Legal System:
Common Law
Latest Court Ruling:
Court of 1st Instance
Type of Proceeding:
Criminal

On April 5, 2005, defendants [Josue Flores Carreto, Gerardo Flores Carreto, and Daniel Perez Alonso] pleaded guilty, just prior to trial, to charges arising from forcing young Mexican women into prostitution in brothels throughout the New York City metropolitan area, including Queens and Brooklyn.

 
 

Victims / Plaintiffs in the first instance

Victim:
Anonymous 1
Victim:
Anonymous 2
Victim:
Anonymous 3

Defendants / Respondents in the first instance

Defendant:
Josue Flores Carreto
Defendant:
Gerardo Flores Carreto
Gender:
Male
Defendant:
Daniel Perez Alonso
Gender:
Male
Defendant:
Edith Mosquera de Flores
Gender:
Female
Defendant:
Defendant 5
Gender:
Male
Defendant:
Eloy Carreto Reyes
Gender:
Male
Defendant:
Consuelo Carreto Valencia
Gender:
Female
Legal Reasoning:

Josue Flores Carreto pleaded guilty to all 27 counts of the indictment on April 5, 2005, and was then was sentenced to 50 years in prison based on his guilty pleas.

Gerardo Flores Carreto pleaded guilty to all 27 counts of the indictment on April 5, 2005, and was sentenced to 50 years in prison based on his guilty pleas.

Daniel Perez Alonso pleaded guilty to all 27 counts of the indictment on April 5, 2005, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison based on his guilty pleas.

Edith Mosquera de Flores pleaded guilty to conspiracy on November 12, 2004, and was sentenced to 27 months in prison.

Defendant 5 pleaded guilty to sex trafficking crimes on December 22, 2004, and was sentenced to 80 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Eloy Carreto Reyes pleaded guilty to sex trafficking crimes on November 22, 2004, and is still pending sentencing.

Consuelo Carreto Valencia pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, and coercion on July 22, 2008, and was sentenced to 121 months imprisonment.

Charges / Claims / Decisions

Defendant:
Josue Flores Carreto
Legislation / Statute / Code:

Title 18, the United States Code, Section 371

Charge details:

Multiple Offenses

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Sex Trafficking

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Transportation for Prostitution

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Importation of an Alien for Immoral Purpose

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Alien Smuggling

Verdict:
Guilty
Term of Imprisonment:
50 years
Defendant:
Gerardo Flores Carreto
Charge details:

Multiple Offenses

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Sex Trafficking

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Transportation for Prostitution

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Importation of an Alien for Immoral Purpose

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Alien Smuggling

Verdict:
Guilty
Term of Imprisonment:
50 years
Defendant:
Daniel Perez Alonso
Charge details:

Multiple Offenses

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Sex Trafficking

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Transportation for Prostitution

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Importation of an Alien for Immoral Purpose

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Alien Smuggling

Verdict:
Guilty
Term of Imprisonment:
25 years
Defendant:
Edith Mosquera de Flores
Charge details:

Conspiracy

Verdict:
Guilty
Term of Imprisonment:
2 years 3 Months
Defendant:
Defendant 5
Charge details:

Multiple Offenses

Charge details:

Sex Trafficking

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Transportation for Prostitution

Charge details:

Importation of an Alien for Immoral Purpose

Charge details:

Alien Smuggling

Term of Imprisonment:
6 years 8 Months

With an additional 5 years of supervised release

Defendant:
Eloy Carreto Reyes
Charge details:

Sex Trafficking

Verdict:
Guilty
Defendant:
Consuelo Carreto Valencia
Charge details:

Multiple Offenses

Charge details:

Sex Trafficking

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge details:

Transportation for Prostitution

Charge details:

Importation of an Alien for Immoral Purpose

Charge details:

Alien Smuggling

Term of Imprisonment:
10 years 1 Month

Court

United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York