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Texas Man Extradited from Panama on Sex Trafficking Charges
A Cuban national living in Texas was returned from Panama to face federal charges that he lured four Cuban women into commercial sex work. The Justice Department announced the extradition on Sunday.
May 24, 2:19 PM·1m read1 source
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A Cuban national living in Texas faces multiple federal charges after being extradited from Panama, the Justice Department announced Sunday. Michel Cedeno-Castillo, 41, is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Houston. Court documents state he lured four Cuban women to Texas with promises of employment, then used threats and coercion to force them into prostitution.
The indictment lists six counts: sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; importing an alien for immoral purposes; conspiracy to transport an alien for financial gain; transporting for purposes of prostitution; extortion; and cyberstalking. If convicted, Cedeno-Castillo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to life imprisonment.
An indictment is an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Statements from Officials Assistant Attorney General A.
” Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas of ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ Houston Field Office described the extradition as a “powerful message of deterrence to transnational criminal organizations across the globe.
