A federal grand jury in the United States has returned a 35-count indictment against Martha Zeferino Jose, Jose Rodriguez Munoz, and Jeremy Zeferino Jose, alleging violations of the Servitude and Forced Labor statutes (18 U.S.C. §§ 1589, 1590), Alien Harboring provisions (8 U.S.C. § 1324), Visa Fraud statutes (18 U.S.C. § 1546), and Obstruction of Justice statutes (18 U.S.C. § 1505) in connection with the misuse of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The indictment alleges that the defendants, operating through Las Princesas Corporation in Washington, North Carolina, trafficked Mexican agricultural workers into the United States between August 2021 and July 2022 and subjected them to forced labor conditions across Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.
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The indictment was unsealed Friday. It alleges that the defendants used the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program to bring Mexican farmworkers into the country and then forced them to work in abusive conditions.
The alleged crimes took place between August 2021 and July 2022. The workers were sent to farms and plant nurseries in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.
An indictment is a formal charge. It is not a conviction. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Company Operations and Visa Fraud Allegations
According to court documents, the defendants operated Las Princesas Corporation, a farm labor contracting company based in Washington, North Carolina.
The indictment names Martha Zeferino Jose, 42, as the owner and operator. She is a permanent resident of the United States and a citizen of Mexico. She allegedly ran the company with her partner, Jose Rodriguez Munoz, a Mexican citizen who was living in the United States unlawfully, and her son, Jeremy Zeferino Jose, 23, also a permanent resident and Mexican citizen.
Prosecutors allege that Martha Zeferino Jose submitted fraudulent applications to the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In those applications, she certified that the company would follow labor laws and visa rules, including not charging recruitment fees, not taking workers’ documents, and providing proper wages, housing, meals, and transportation.
Authorities claim those commitments were never intended to be honored.
Recruiters working for the company allegedly charged workers large fees to secure jobs in the United States. This left many workers in debt before they even arrived.
Once in the country, the defendants allegedly confiscated passports, visas, and identification documents to prevent workers from leaving.
Forced Labor and Living Conditions
The indictment describes physically demanding labor at farms and nurseries across three states. Workers were allegedly made to work long hours without enough breaks or proper access to water.
Housing conditions were described as overcrowded and unsanitary. Some residences allegedly lacked heat, air conditioning, hot water, and bedding.
Prosecutors allege that required wages were not paid. Food was allegedly withheld at times. Medical care was reportedly denied.
Strict rules were imposed. Workers were allegedly not allowed to leave or go anywhere alone. They were told not to speak with outsiders. Authorities say the defendants created fear by threatening workers with arrest, deportation, and loss of future work opportunities.
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When some workers’ H-2A visas expired, prosecutors allege they were told to remain in the United States instead of returning home. The defendants allegedly harbored these workers for financial gain.
Obstruction Allegations and Federal Charges
The indictment also includes obstruction allegations. When the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division began investigating, prosecutors allege that passports were returned before investigators arrived. Workers were allegedly instructed to say everything was fine. Threats of deportation were reportedly made if they told the truth.
Each defendant faces charges of forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, conspiracy to commit alien harboring, and document servitude. Martha Zeferino Jose is also charged with visa fraud. Jose Rodriguez Munoz faces an additional obstruction charge. Both are charged with conspiracy to obstruct proceedings.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for each forced labor count, up to 10 years for each alien harboring count, and up to five years for document servitude. Visa fraud carries up to 10 years, while obstruction-related charges carry up to five years.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. The case remains pending in federal court.
