Texas Abortion Ban: Waller Clinic Operator and Staff Charged After Sting Investigation

In the initial criminal case arising from Texas' extensive abortion ban, Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office revealed on Monday that a midwife from Waller County, along with two employees, has been charged with conducting illegal abortions and practicing medicine without a license.

The arrests come after a lengthy investigation initiated by an anonymous tip, which claimed that illegal abortions were taking place at multiple clinics in Waller County and northwest Harris County. Maria Margarita Rojas, who owns several health clinics, along with employee Jose Ley, is facing second-degree felony charges for conducting an abortion. Rojas, Ley, and Rubildo Labanino Matos face charges for practicing medicine without a license.

Court records disclosed that the investigation commenced in January following a tipster's report of patients paying $1,300 for abortions at Rojas' clinics. Through surveillance, stakeouts, and trash searches, investigators uncovered evidence, which included patient testimonies and the presence of abortion-inducing drugs such as misoprostol on-site.

A woman identified as E.G. in court documents informed investigators that she thought she was receiving counsel from a licensed gynecologist while seeking guidance regarding a challenging pregnancy. She mentioned that Rojas informed her that her pregnancy had a survival chance of less than 10%. In light of that information, she consented to terminate and made a payment exceeding $1,300. E.G. subsequently discovered that neither Rojas nor Ley held licenses to practice medicine.

The criminal complaint states that Ley, a Cuban green card holder, asserted he had previously practiced medicine overseas and was working as a "medical assistant" in Texas, despite lacking a license. Investigators discovered that Labanino Matos, a registered nurse with a probationary license, allowed the clinic to use his credentials in exchange for compensation.

Rojas and Ley continued to be incarcerated on bonds set at $1.4 million and $700,000, respectively, as of Tuesday. Paxton’s office is pursuing a court order to close Rojas’ clinics permanently.

The case underscores the significant legal examination of abortion services in Texas in the wake of the Human Life Protection Act, which prohibits almost all abortions except when the mother's life is at risk.