Web Desk
A 48-year-old midwife has been taken into custody for allegedly performing illegal abortions and operating unlicensed medical clinics in the Houston area, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Monday.
Margarita Rojas, also known as “Dr. Maria,” was arrested in Waller County.
She faces charges for illegally performing an abortion, a second-degree felony, and practicing medicine without a license.
According to Paxton, an investigation revealed that Rojas managed multiple clinics under different names, including Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring.
Authorities stated that these clinics employed unlicensed workers who posed as medical professionals.
They also confirmed that Rojas conducted abortion procedures in violation of the Texas Human Life Protection Act.
“In Texas, life is sacred. I will always fight to protect the unborn, uphold our state’s pro-life laws, and ensure that unlicensed individuals performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,” Paxton said in a statement.
Following her arrest, Paxton’s Healthcare Program Enforcement Division filed a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas’s clinics.
The Attorney General’s Office has the authority to seek civil penalties of at least $100,000 per violation for unlawful abortion procedures.
The case was referred to Paxton’s office by Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore.
Under Texas law, abortion providers—not patients—are held criminally responsible for illegal procedures.
