A Venezuelan migrant, allegedly known as “La Barbie,” was arrested on suspicion of sex trafficking a woman reportedly at the Gateway Hotel in Downtown El Paso.
Estefania Primera, 36, was arrested Sept. 27, 2024, on suspicion of trafficking of persons for allegedly drugging and selling a woman for sex at an El Paso hotel, an affidavit states.
An attorney for Primera is not named in court records.
The hotel was not named in a bond hearing for Primera. Court documents also do not name the hotel stating, the victim “found refuge at a local hotel that will remain unnamed for the safety of the victim.”
The New York Post reported a leaked memo from the U.S. Border Patrol that identified the hotel as the Gateway Hotel. The news outlet claimed the memo stated Primera is a known Tren de Aragua gang member.
The El Paso Times was unable to independently confirm any of Primera’s alleged gang affiliations.
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An affidavit filed in the case by a Texas Department of Public Safety state trooper does not mention the Tren de Aragua gang.
The Gateway Hotel made national headlines after the El Paso County Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit against the hotel owner claiming the hotel was illegally operating and allowing criminal activity, including housing members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
After state leaders claimed the Tren de Aragua gang took over the hotel and El Paso was “infested” with the gang, El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez clarified the hotel was not overtaken by the Tren de Aragua gang members. The lawsuit stemmed from broad criminal activities at the hotel, she said.
The lawsuit resulted in a judge temporarily shutting down the hotel until a hearing on the hotel’s future is held in December.
Victim claims ‘La Barbie’ drugged her, sold her for sex
A Texas Department of Public Safety state trooper received information from U.S. Border Patrol officials about a woman claiming she had been forced to work as a prostitute in El Paso, an affidavit states.
The trooper went to interview the woman at the U.S. Border Patrol’s El Paso Services Processing Center, located at 8915 Montana Ave. in East El Paso.
The woman told the trooper she had entered the U.S. on Oct. 23, 2023 and took refuge at an El Paso hotel, the affidavit states. During her stay at the hotel, Primera allegedly told the woman she had a way for the woman to make money by being a prostitute.
The woman told Primera she did not want to do it, but Primera allegedly forced the woman to take a M30 pill, the affidavit states. M30 pills are counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. Fentanyl makes users experience “relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea” and other side effects, the affidavit states.
Primera allegedly forced the woman to take another pill. The pills would make the woman lose consciousness.
As the woman was in and out of consciousness, she saw men raping her, the affidavit states. The woman claimed she would wake up naked several times suffering for bleeding and other injuries consistent with being raped.
The woman told Primera about the pain, but Primera allegedly forced the woman to take more pills and denied the woman medical attention, the affidavit states.
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The woman attempted to leave the hotel but was forced back by Primera. The woman once ran down to the hotel manager to show the manager her injuries, but the manager told her the injuries were probably caused by her spouse. The manager told the victim to go back to her room.
The woman told the trooper Primera beat her on multiple occasions, including kicking and punching her all over her body, the affidavit states.
The trooper took a photo of the woman and used it to find advertisements offering sexual services on the website megapersonals, the affidavit states. The advertisements were posted July 4, July 5, July 8 and July 9. The photos in the advertisements included ones of the woman alone or with another woman. One of the advertisements had the address of the hotel the woman was living at.
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The woman told the trooper she never consented to being used as prostitute and saw Primera take money from men in exchange for having sex with the victim. The victim never received any money Primera allegedly got paid for selling the woman for sex.
Primera was arrested Sept. 27, on suspicion of trafficking of persons. She was booked into the El Paso County Jail on a $200,000 bond. She remains jailed as of Thursday, Oct. 10, jail logs show.
A state prosecutor claimed during a Sept. 29 bond hearing that Primera illegally entered the U.S. from Venezuela with her six children. A bond reduction request was denied by an El Paso magistrate judge, court records show.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
El Paso Times reporter Daniel Borunda contributed to this story
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Venezuelan migrant allegedly sold woman for sex at El Paso’s Gateway Hotel
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