Texas arrests 8 in widening probe of midwife accused of illegal abortions

Eight people linked to a Houston-area midwife accused of allegedly performing illegal abortions have been arrested and indicted for practicing medicine without a license, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday.

In a statement shared online, Paxton described the group as “a cabal of abortion-loving radicals” who “endangered the very people they pretended to help.”

The arrests are the latest development in an investigation into Maria Margarita Rojas, 49,who earlier in 2025 became the first to be charged under the Texas Human Life Protection Act.

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Rojas faces 15 felony counts, including three for performing an abortion and 12 for practicing medicine without a license. Her case is ongoing.

Paxton said the eight new defendants were working under Rojas at her clinics in Waller, Cypress, Spring, and Katy. 

Those charged were identified as Yaimara Hernandez Alvarez, Alina Valeron Leon, Dalia Coromoto Yanez, Yhonder Lebrun Acosta, Liunet Grandales Estrada, Gerardo Otero Aguero, Sabiel Bosch Gongora, and Jose Manuel Cendan Ley. 

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In his statement, Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, said the arrests show his commitment to enforcing the state’s strict abortion laws and said, “beyond being illegal, it is evil.” 

“These dens of fake doctors will not be allowed to operate in Texas,” Paxton added. 

“Those responsible will be held accountable. I will always protect innocent life and use every tool to enforce Texas’s pro-life laws,” he said.

The Center for Reproductive Rights called the case against Rojas a “sham.” The organization is representing Rojas in a separate civil lawsuit.

Jenna Hudson, Senior Counsel, told Fox News Digital that the indictments were “an escalation of Texas’ scare campaign against doctors and healthcare workers.”

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Hudson said Paxton “went after Rojas, a licensed midwife dedicated to helping her pregnant patients.”

“He heartlessly shut down several clinics that provided lawful, affordable services to families around Houston, most of whom were low-income, uninsured immigrants with few options for health care, ” she added.

“It’s no coincidence that he is targeting Rojas and these clinics amid the widespread anti-immigrant sentiment nationwide. Texas health care workers deserve respect, not to be treated like criminals.”