A Cuban national illegally residing in the United States has been sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison for trafficking three women from Cuba and forcing them to work in strip clubs across multiple states, including Texas.
Yoirlan Tome-Rojas was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to three counts of labor trafficking, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Federal prosecutors said Tome-Rojas arranged for the women to enter the United States by paying for flights, hotels, drivers, and smugglers who transported them across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Once in the country, the women were charged up to $50,000 each for travel costs and forced to work in strip clubs seven days a week to repay the money. The women reportedly feared for their safety and the safety of their families in Cuba.
Tome-Rojas transported the women between Indiana, Detroit, and San Antonio, requiring them to surrender all their earnings while prohibiting them from leaving or ending their work until their debts were paid.
Prosecutors said he continued adding expenses for food, clothing, housing, and transportation to the women’s outstanding balances.
Two of the victims remained under his control for approximately three months, during which Tome-Rojas claimed they had paid only about $1,000 toward their debts.
According to a federal indictment filed in June 2025, the trafficking offenses occurred between approximately December 1, 2023, and March 14, 2024. Tome-Rojas was originally charged with three counts of labor trafficking and two counts involving Social Security cards.
He pleaded guilty to the three labor trafficking counts on June 3, 2026.
“This is modern-day slavery, and it is more common in our communities than many Americans realize,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons.
Simmons added that federal authorities would continue pursuing traffickers who exploit vulnerable individuals in the United States.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department.
