A Mexican national, Clemente Melendez Gutierrez, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after admitting he transported an 18-year-old woman from Mexico and forced her into commercial sex in Houston, Texas. Federal investigators uncovered a years-long pattern of abuse, grooming, and coercion that spanned multiple victims and locations, and prosecutors say the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes.
Clemente Melendez Gutierrez pleaded guilty in August to one count of transportation for prostitution and was sentenced to 120 months in prison. The conviction follows an investigation that traced the victim’s recruitment in Mexico, physical abuse, and eventual smuggling into the United States where she was forced to work in cantinas and back rooms in Houston.
According to court records, Melendez recruited the 18-year-old in 2007 by pretending to be in a romantic relationship and then isolating her at his parents’ home. After she resisted being forced into commercial sex, he allegedly dragged her by the hair, punched and kicked her, and compelled her to perform sex acts at a hotel in Mexico before moving her across the border.
Several days later, the defendant had the victim smuggled into the United States and took her to Houston, where he told her she owed thousands of dollars for transportation and had to repay it by working in hidden rooms at a cantina. He set nightly quotas and used violence when those quotas were not met, controlling her through physical abuse and threats until she escaped in 2013.
“The defendant preyed upon this vulnerable victim and used physical abuse to coerce her to travel to the United States to engage in commercial sex for his own financial gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentence reflects the severity of the defendant’s conduct, and the DOJ will relentlessly prosecute and hold accountable sex traffickers.”
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Nicholas J. Ganjei added a firm reminder about accountability: “The damage inflicted by this defendant is immeasurable. Gutierrez subjected his victims to years of physical, mental, and sexual abuse in pursuit of his own personal profit,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Today’s sentence underscores our office’s steadfast pursuit of those who prey upon and exploit women for financial gain. Let it be known – human trafficking has no home in the Southern District of Texas.”
Investigators say Melendez repeated this pattern with multiple women and girls between 2005 and 2021, sending victims to work at multiple cantinas and other locations until they could escape. He maintained control with quotas, violence, and psychological manipulation to extract money and labor from vulnerable people brought from Mexico.
“Today’s sentence brings long-awaited, and overdue, justice for the victim who was subjected to years of abuse and exploitation at the hands of Melendez Gutierrez,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “Unfortunately, the physical, mental and emotional manipulation and trauma the victim suffered at the hands of this ‘suitor-turned-monster’ will remain with her forever. His long-awaited prison sentence reflects the tireless work and unwavering dedication of the investigators, victim specialists and prosecutors who, through the years, stood alongside the victim to ensure her voice was heard and her suffering acknowledged. While no prison sentence can erase the pain and trauma his victims endured, our hope is that today’s outcome represents accountability, justice and a step toward healing and hope.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Houston Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, who worked together to expose the trafficking scheme and bring charges. HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz summed up the enforcement result: “With today’s sentence, we have removed a dangerous predator from the community who used physical and sexual abuse, threats of violence and psychological manipulation to groom and control his victims and force them to engage in commercial sex for his own profit,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “Working alongside our partners, we exposed his criminal scheme and helped ensure he was held fully accountable for his actions and the harm caused to the victims.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Valenti for the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case. Their work, along with victim specialists and federal partners, aimed to secure justice and protect current and future potential victims.
The public is encouraged to report information about human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Strong enforcement and community vigilance remain vital to preventing exploitation and supporting survivors.
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