Woman arrested for allegedly providing illegal abortions in Houston area, Texas AG says
A 48-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly illegally providing abortions in the Houston area, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Monday.
Maria Margarita Rojas allegedly provided "illegal abortions" and "illegally" operated a network of clinics in northwestern Houston, Paxton said in a press release.
Rojas has been charged with the illegal performance of an abortion and practicing medicine without a license, the former of which is a second-degree felony, according to Paxton.
A second-degree felony in Texas is punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, if convicted.
However, under the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021, Paxton's office stated he has the authority to seek a fine of at least $100,000 "per violation."
"In Texas, life is sacred," Paxton said in a statement. "I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state's pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted."
According to Paxton, Rojas is a midwife known as "Dr. Maria." She allegedly owned and operated multiple clinics including Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring -- all in the northwest Houston area.
Rojas is accused of performing "illegal abortion procedures" in her clinics, which allegedly violated the Texas Human Life Protection Act, the attorney general's office said. Additionally, the Healthcare Program Enforcement Division, which falls under the attorney general's office, filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas' clinics, according to Paxton's office.
Paxton's office clarified that abortion providers -- not patients -- are criminally responsible for abortion procedures, which are considered illegal in the state.
Abortions are banned in Texas except if the woman has a life-threatening condition or is at risk of "substantial impairment of a major bodily function."
Patients are required to make two trips, one for an in-person counseling session and then 24 hours later for the abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that focuses on sexual and reproductive health.
Paxton's office did not immediately reply to ABC News' request for comment.
It wasn't immediately clear if Rojas had an attorney who could speak on her behalf
