Texas arrests eight for performing illegal abortions

Texas authorities arrested and charged eight people working in Houston-area abortion facilities, state Attorney General Ken Paxton said Wednesday. They were charged with performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without medical licenses, he said. Several of those arrested were not American citizens, Paxton said. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Paxton’s office previously arrested Maria Rojas, who operated the network of four facilities, on the same charges. She currently faces 15 felony charges, including several for illegal abortions and 12 counts of practicing medicine without a license, he said Wednesday. Subsequent court orders barred her and her employees from performing abortions while the case proceeds in court, according to Paxton’s office.

Texas law forbids abortions except in cases of medical emergency. Rojas was the first to face charges under the law, which passed in 2021, Paxton’s office said.

Who were the eight people arrested?

• Yaimara Hernandez Alvarez

• Alina Valeron Leon

• Dalia Coromoto Yanez

• Yhonder Lebrun Acosta

• Liunet Grandales Estrada

• Gerardo Otero Aguero

• Sabiel Bosch Gongora

• Jose Manuel Cendan Ley

Dig deeper: Read my previous report for more on Rojas’ arrest.