“Regardless of the legal status, it is just not a right for these people to take advantage of them, and basically enslave them in the country,” Assistant Police Chief Johnathan Mitchell said.
As reported by MSN News, an Alabama law enforcement agency recently discovered troubling data regarding a human trafficking enterprise operated by a couple who reportedly transported people into the United States and held them in servitude. Authorities accuse Alex Ramirez and his girlfriend, Sarabia Reyes, of seizing all their victims’ money and documents, thereby holding them captive.
“Evidence collected indicate these aren’t the only ones brought over and that this happened to,” Mitchell said.
Victims informed local officials that the pair assisted in smuggling people into the United States from Mexico. While the couple’s actual involvement is unknown, they are thought to have played an active role in getting them here. Those who made it to the United States owed Ramirez and Reyes money for their help. The couple forced these individuals into servitude by stealing their paperwork, whether official or counterfeit, and their money.
Ramirez and Reyes were detained on Friday, Nov. 22, at the El Sabor restaurant on Blockton Road after search warrants were issued for them.
Mitchell added that such crimes have occurred in the neighborhood before. “In a situation like this, it’s really hard because people in Hispanic communities who might not have legal status have a fear of law enforcement,” explained Mitchell.
Mitchell said that building a case in these scenarios is tough. “Getting enough evidence to support a judge signing off on a search warrant is very difficult,” he pointed out. However, this is the first time we had enough evidence to proceed.”
One of the most difficult issues in such cases is convincing victims to come forward, especially when their citizenship status is in doubt. However, the comments of those who did come forward were crucial in launching the probe. “Documents can be fake; social security numbers can be obtained— a lot of that is still ongoing parts that I can’t speak on with the investigation,” Mitchell said to the press.
The pair threatened to deport victims who did not repay them for their services. Mitchell said, “The couple would threaten them with deportation.”
In 2023, the Human Trafficking Hotline received 203 calls from Alabama, 33 of which came from victims or survivors of human trafficking.