#Family accused of running sex trafficking operation out of bar

Four members of a Texas family are accused of running a sex-trafficking operation out of a Houston bar for more than a decade, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

The suspects, Maria Botello, 54, her two adult children and her nephew, allegedly forced waitresses at a bar called Puerto Alegre to have sex with clients in an operation that ran from 2007 to 2020, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Lone Star State.

Botello allegedly arranged the encounters, where clients paid $70 for 15 minutes with the victims, which included one minor, according to a criminal complaint.

The mother’s 28-year-old son, Edgar Botello and 23-year-old nephew, Arian Botello, used weapons to enforce and intimidate the victims into compliance, the complaint said.

Yudy Lucatero, 31, Botello’s daughter, discussed with her mother the rules and plans for the operation, according to prosecutors.

The family members have been charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy, authorities said.