Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced this week that authorities have arrested three individuals for allegedly performing illegal abortions in the state.
On Monday, Paxton’s office confirmed the arrest of Maria Margarita Rojas, a certified nurse midwife, who is accused of operating an illegal abortion network in the Houston area.
According to officials, Rojas employed unlicensed individuals who falsely presented themselves as medical professionals in order to provide abortions and other medical treatments.
This case marks one of the first major legal challenges against illegal abortion providers in Texas since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
In addition to Rojas, authorities also arrested Jose Manuel Cendan Ley on Monday and Rubildo Labanino Matos earlier in March.
Ley, who worked for Rojas, faces charges of performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without a license. Matos was arrested in connection to the ongoing investigation.
Paxton: “Justice Will Be Served”
Under Texas law, nearly all abortions have been banned since the 2022 repeal of Roe v. Wade.
The state’s trigger law went into effect immediately following the Supreme Court’s decision, making abortion illegal except in cases where it is necessary to save the life of the mother.
Those found guilty of performing illegal abortions in Texas face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $100,000.
Paxton made it clear that his office is committed to enforcing the law and holding illegal abortion providers accountable.
“Individuals killing unborn babies by performing illegal abortions in Texas will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and I will not rest until justice is served,” Paxton said in a statement.
“I will continue to fight to protect life and work to ensure that anyone guilty of violating our state’s pro-life laws is held accountable.”
This is just the latest in Paxton’s ongoing efforts to hold abortion providers legally responsible.
Late last year, he filed a lawsuit against New York-based doctor Margaret Carpenter, accusing her of illegally prescribing and sending abortion medication to a Texas woman.
A Texas judge fined Carpenter $100,000 in February for allegedly prescribing the medication in violation of Texas law.
