Texas authorities have arrested a midwife and a medical assistant in connection with performing illegal abortions and running unlicensed clinics across multiple Houston locations, Attorney General Ken Paxton said.
Jose Manuel Cendan Ley, 29, has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal abortions and unlicensed medical practices. Ley, a medical assistant at Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Texas, is accused of performing illegal abortions and aiding Maria Margarita Rojas, who was arrested the day before.
Ley, a Cuban national who entered the United States illegally in 2022, is charged with the unlawful performance of an abortion and practicing medicine without a license. Paxton’s office emphasized that Ley’s actions were part of a broader operation involving Rojas, who is also facing charges for similar offenses.
“Individuals killing unborn babies by performing illegal abortions in Texas will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and I will not rest until justice is served,” said Attorney General Paxton in a statement. “I will continue to fight to protect life and work to ensure that anyone guilty of violating our state’s pro-life laws is held accountable.”
Rojas, 48, also known as “Dr. Maria,” was arrested in Waller County on March 16 for performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without a license. The investigation revealed that Rojas operated multiple clinics under the names Clinica Waller Latinoamericana, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring. Rojas allegedly employed unlicensed individuals posing as medical professionals and conducted abortion procedures in violation of the Texas Human Life Protection Act.
Along with Ley’s arrest, Paxton’s office confirmed Rubildo Labanino Matos, 54, was arrested on March 8 after returning to the U.S. from Cuba. Matos, a nurse practitioner whose license is currently under probation by the Board of Nursing, is charged with conspiracy to practice medicine without a license.
This investigation, which remains ongoing, was conducted by Paxton’s Law Enforcement Division. The Attorney General’s office has filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas’s network of clinics and is seeking civil penalties of at least $100,000 per violation for unlawful abortion procedures.
In Texas, abortion providers, not patients, are held criminally responsible for performing illegal abortion procedures. The case was referred to Paxton’s office by Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore.
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