PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Eight people are facing charges related to human trafficking and prostitution after New Jersey State Police busted an alleged ring in Trenton and Asbury Park through a four-month investigation.
Authorities said that on January 21, detectives executed a search warrant and found two female victims at a home in Trenton.
Officials said one of them, a girl, was smuggled from Mexico to Texas under the impression she would be working at a restaurant. She was forced into prostitution in Asbury Park before being taken to Trenton.
Investigators took two suspects from Trenton, Daniel Camara, 55, and Edy Estrada, 39, into custody at that time.
State Police said they were able to identify Paulino Macolas-Aguirre, 43, as the ringleader. They determined he was operating the human trafficking network out of several homes in Trenton.
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In May, more search warrants were executed, and investigators found nine additional women who were victims.
Investigators believe they were also smuggled into the U.S. and forced into prostitution.
State Police say that Macolas-Aguirre faces 10 charges, including two counts of first-degree human trafficking and one count of second-degree sexual assault. Camara faces 12 counts and Estrada has six charges. Both face one count of first-degree human trafficking.
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Efran Melocastillo, 30, Jose Camara Perico, 30, Laura Macolas Aguirre, 44, Daniel Camara Perico, 31, and Daniela Penco-Camara, 28, all face four to five charges each, with all having at least one count of maintaining a house of prostitution.
All of them are from Trenton except Laura Macolas Aguirre, who is from Asbury Park.
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