MIAMI (AP) — A Cuban national living in Florida has been convicted of smuggling three women into the United States and forcing them to work at strip clubs to pay off the imposed debt.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami says Ivan Madrigal Zamora pleaded guilty Monday to encouraging and inducing an alien to reside in the United States and forced labor trafficking. There are conflicting reports as to whether Zamora is 46 or 47 years old. He's set to be sentenced in January.
Authorities say Zamora brought the women from Cuba, through Mexico, to the U.S. and eventually South Florida during 2016 and 2017.
The first woman supposedly owed Zamora $10,000, and the other two each owed $26,000. Prosecutors say the third victim escaped Zamora shortly after arriving and called 911.
