Midwife is arrested for performing abortions in Texas, AG announces
A Texas midwife has been arrested for owning and operating a network of illegal abortion clinics in the northeast Houston area.
Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, was charged with the illegal performance of an abortion, a second-degree felony in Texas, the state attorney general announced on Monday.
Rojas, a midwife known as 'Dr. Maria,' was taken into custody in Waller County. She is also charged with practicing medicine without a license.
An investigation by Attorney General Ken Paxton's law enforcement division revealed that Rojas owned and operated multiple clinics under the names Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring.
The facilities allegedly employed unlicensed individuals who 'falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals' in order to provide medical treatment, investigators said.
Rojas herself also performed illegal abortion procedures in her clinics in direct violation of the Texas Human Life Protection Act, the AG's office said.
In addition to the arrest, Paxton has filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas's network of clinics to prevent further illegal activity, he added.
'In Texas, life is sacred. 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,' Paxton said in a statement.
'Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.'
Under the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021, abortion providers can receive civil penalties of at least $100,000 per violation.
Online court records reflect the date of Rojas' offense as March 5, 2025.
She was booked into jail on March 6 and was released on $10,000 bond on March 7, according to Waller County records.
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Without an indictment, Rojas is left in a sort of no man's land where due process has been put on hold. 'There is no possibility of due process for her in this current state,' Owen said. 'Rights only become meaningful through due process. You can't do anything about an arrest unless you can challenge it.' The 30-page arrest affidavit filed by Paxton's office is currently the only evidence from the state outlining Rojas' alleged crimes. The investigation into Rojas' clinics began with an anonymous complaint to Texas Health and Human Services in January. The attorney general's office investigated and arrested Rojas and another worker on charges of practicing medicine without a license. Weeks later, they were arrested again on charges of performing an illegal abortion. State investigators surveilled the clinics for a little over a month earlier this year after the anonymous complaint alleged that two women received illegal abortions from Rojas in September 2023 and January 2025. 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