A federal indictment has exposed a Georgia-based conspiracy that exploited the H-2A visa program to traffic foreign agricultural workers. Five defendants, including Martha Aquino and the Cervantes brothers, allegedly used fraud and threats of violence to coerce laborers into illegal stays for profit.
Martha Aquino and the Cervantes brothers face federal visa fraud charges
Federal prosecutors have charged five individuals for their roles in a labor-trafficking enterprise operating out of Georgia. According to the indictment, the key players include 61-year-old Martha Aquino, 49-year-old Evangelina Aquino De Galvan, 38-year-old Julio Cervantes , 41-year-old Marco Cervantes , and 31-year-old Juan Felipe Romero-Lopez. The group is accused of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, and encouraging alien immigration for commercial advantage.
The legal status of the defendants varies as the case proceeds. While Martha Aquino, Julio Cervantes, and Marco Cervantes have already been arrested, Juan Felipe Romero-Lopez was already in federal custody due to a previous weapons charge. One defendant, Evangelina Aquino De Galvan, currently remains at large as authorities continue their investigation.
Seized passports and threats of violence in the Georgia scheme
The operation allegedly functioned by fraudulently obtaining H-2A visas to bring foreign workers into the United States. Once the laborers arrived in Georgia, the defendants reportedly forced them to surrender their pasports and personal funds. As the report says, the conspirators used threats of violence to ensure the workers did not attempt to leave the farm, effectively trapping them in a cycle of forced labor.
The exploitation continued even after the legal window for employment closed. when the workers' H-2A visas expired, the defendants allegedly facilitated their illegal stay in the U.S. or arranged transportation to other regions. In exchange for these services, the workers were required to continue paying the defendants, turning a lawful employment mechanism into a profit-driven trafficking ring.
The H-2A program's vulnerability to 'secret labor markets'
The H-2A visa program is intended to suppot American agriculture by filling critical labor shortages with temporary foreign workers. However, this case highlights a systemic vulnerability where unscrupulous operators exploit the lack of legal knowledge among migrants. By controlling documentation and using coercion,the defendants in Georgia were able to create what prosecutors describe as a "secret labor market" on farming operations.
This pattern of abuse is not isolated, as critics have long warned that the H-2A program lacks sufficient oversight to protect vulnerable workers. Federal prosecutor Margaret E. Heap stated that her office will collaborate with local, state, and federal partners to preserve the integrity of the H-2A system and ensure that those who profit from the exploitation of immigrant workers are held accountable.
The search for Evangelina Aquino De Galvan and other complicit farms
Significant questions remain regarding the full scale of the operation. While five individuals have been named, federal agencies are currently working to identify additional victims who may have been subjected to the same abuse. It remains unclear exactly how many workers were trafficked through this specific Georgia network or how much money was stolen from the victims.
Furthermore, investigators are examining whether other farming operations in the Georgia region were complicit in the scheme or engaged in similar visa violations. Because the defendants allegedly moved workers to different parts of the country after their visas expired, the investigation may expand beyond state lines to determine where else these coerced laborers were placed.
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