Alleged member of a sex trafficking ring with Alabama ties faces New York charges

A Mexican citizen has been extradited to New York to face federal charges of coercing women into working as prostitutes around the United States. Prosecutors say Hugo Hernandez-Velazquez belonged to a New York based group that allegedly used forced women to work in brothels from Alabama to Connecticut. Hernandez-Velazquez was arrested in Mexico in August and extradited to the United States last week. Prosecutors say the group lured women into romantic relationships through false promises of love and support, and often not allowed to contact their families after being taken into homes of the traffickers in Mexico. The Associated Press sent a message to Hernandez-Velazquez's defense attorney seeking comment. He faces at least 15 years in prison if convicted. Two members of siblings are also charged in the case. Alabama Public Radio spent fourteen months investigating human trafficking in Alabama. You can listen to that international award winning program by clicking below.