Guatemalan Madam Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez Busted For Heading Sex Slave Ring

Maribel Rodriguez Vasquez, a 28-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, was recently busted as being the head of a large and elaborate sex slavery ring cum family business. The family that exploits women together, stays together - usually while feeding excess Fluffernutter to the family dog. Vasquez has appeared on “America’s Most Wanted,” so she’s practically a reality TV star.

Along with 5 of her relatives and 3 other Guatemalan nationals are charged with luring at least 12 women, some as young 13-years-old, into the United States with the promise of securing them with good jobs. The girls would then end up working as prostitutes.

Human trafficking is not totally uncommon in many American towns, especially along the U.S. border. Says Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Burchell, kind of cockily:

“I could go to a truck stop in South Texas right now and get on a CB radio and ask for some sweet stuff, and someone’s going to come out and offer something to sell.”

Sex trafficking, which often targets immigrants unaware of their rights, is an estimated $9.5 billion industry. Vasquez’s ring kept women “in line” by taking them to witch doctors and threatening to put a curse on them and their families if they were uncooperative or attempted to escape. Violence was also used against women who attempted to run away.

Perhaps one of the most sickening aspects of this industry is that so many of these sex slavery rings are run by women who are themselves immigrants. Take, for example, Consuelo Carreto Valencia. The 61-year-old grandmother who stood less than 5 feet tall pleaded guilty in July to smuggling dozens of women from Mexico into the States and forcing them, often with the threat of violence, to perform sex acts.

Officials say sex slave rings are difficult to locate and break because the people involved are not only often held captive, but they have always been fed lies that make them unaware of their rights and the resources available to help them.

We have to wonder about the circumstances currently in place in this country that would create an environment in which immigrant women exploit other women in their same circumstances.

Sex slavery: Living the American nightmare [MSNBC]