POSTED: Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 3:13pm
UPDATED: Friday, June 17, 2011 - 8:26am
MCALLEN- Three upper valley men were convicted of harboring illegal immigrants and putting them up for prostitution.
Juan Antonio Garcia-Garay, 31, Juan Ignacio Chavarria-Ontiveros, 26, and Antonio Martinez Jr., 38, are accused of keeping three undocumented teenage females at two apartments and a house in Rio Grande City and using them for prostitution.
Law enforcement discovered their operation after a traffic stop back in March. Officials with the Department of Justice say the juveniles testified that they had been prostitutes in Mexico and Garcia-Garay had asked them to come and work in the United States.
A fourth defendant, Jorge Martinez-Mendoza previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor charges. All four men are awaiting sentencing.