New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Four individuals from Providence and one from New Bedford were arrested and charged with trafficking women for prostitution.
Rodolfo Galvez, 66 and Carlos Lopez, 56, both from Providence, along with Hector Montilla Segura, 36, of New Bedford were charged with transporting and facilitating females for the purposes of prostitution and conspiracy. Milton Estrada, 35, and Mairenya Valdez, 37, both from of Providence, were charged with human trafficking for sexual servitude, recruiting and transporting for the purposes of human trafficking, transporting and facilitating for the purpose of prostitution, and conspiracy.
The arrests were a culmination of months-long evidence gathering as well as surveillance by Providence police. Police seized financial documents, ledgers, as well as over $100,000 in cash.
The ring utilized a number of Providence homes to house the women who arrived mainly from Mexico and the Dominican Republic and spoke little to no English under the guise that they would work as massage therapists.
