Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that eight individuals, including several foreign nationals, have been indicted and arrested in connection with a network of clinics in the Houston area that allegedly performed illegal abortions and practiced medicine without proper licenses, Breitbart reports. These arrests follow the earlier detainment of Maria Margarita Rojas, a Houston-area midwife known as “Dr. Maria,” who was charged with multiple felony counts, including illegal abortions and practicing medicine without a license.
The individuals arrested were accused of supporting Rojas in running unlicensed clinics where unlicensed personnel posed as medical professionals, endangering the people they intended to help. The clinics operated in several Texas locations, such as Waller, Cypress, Spring, and Katy. Paxton described this group as “a cabal of abortion-loving radicals” who ran illegal clinics that endangered lives and emphasized his commitment to enforcing Texas’ strict pro-life laws.
“Beyond being illegal, it is evil,” Paxton said in a statement. “These dens of fake doctors will not be allowed to operate in Texas. Those responsible will be held accountable. I will always protect innocent life and use every tool to enforce Texas’s pro-life laws.”
Rojas faces up to 20 years in prison for each offense related to unlawful abortion, as well as penalties for practicing medicine without a license, which can carry up to 10 years in prison. The Texas Human Life Protection Act also allows significant civil penalties per violation. Court orders have blocked Rojas and her affiliates from further medical practice as the legal process continues. This case marks the first criminal charges under Texas’ near-total abortion ban.
Paxton affirmed his dedication to protecting life and prosecuting illegal abortion providers to the fullest extent of the law. Meanwhile, Rojas’ legal defense denies the allegations, claiming no evidence supports the charges against her, and advocates argue the clinics served low-income and uninsured communities who have limited healthcare options.
This development is part of an ongoing investigation with further updates expected as the legal proceedings unfold.