BACON COUNTY, Ga. — Three people have been arrested in Georgia as part of a federal investigation into allegations that workers were exploited and forced to pay money to secure jobs in the United States.
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Federal prosecutors say the case involves an alleged scheme that took advantage of a program designed to help U.S. farms bring in temporary workers when they cannot find enough domestic employees.
The arrests happened Monday as federal agents, the Georgia State Patrol SWAT Team and local deputies served warrants.
Martha Aquino, also known as Martha Patricia Resendez Sanchez or “Marta,” 61, Evangelina Aquino De Galvan, 49, and Julio Cervantes, 38, all from Alma, were arrested.
According to federal court documents, the defendants allegedly misused the H-2A visa program, which allows agricultural employers to bring foreign workers to the U.S. temporarily for seasonal jobs.
Prosecutors say the defendants lied about where workers would live and work and demanded payments from them before they could obtain their visas or begin working.
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Investigators also allege some workers had their passports and other identification documents taken from them.
The Justice Department says workers were sometimes threatened or subjected to violence to keep them from leaving or refusing to work.
Even after some workers’ visas expired, prosecutors allege the defendants helped them remain in the country and offered to transport them to other parts of the U.S. for additional payments.
Five people have been charged in the federal case.
Along with Aquino, Aquino De Galvan and Julio Cervantes, prosecutors charged Marco Cervantes, 41, of Rowlett, Georgia, and Juan Felipe Romero-Lopez, 31.
Aquino, Julio Cervantes and Marco Cervantes were arrested this week. Aquino De Galvan remains at large, according to the Justice Department.
Romero-Lopez is already in custody after being charged in May with unlawful possession of a firearm by an undocumented immigrant.
The charges include visa fraud and conspiracy, as well as allegations that some of the defendants encouraged undocumented immigrants to enter the country for financial gain.
The indictment was unsealed Tuesday in federal court in the Southern District of Georgia.
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