Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Involving the Forced Labor of Mexican Workers
Alexander Villatoro Moreno, known as Quichi, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Tampa, Florida, to conspiracy under the RICO Act for orchestrating a large-scale forced labor scheme. Alongside co-defendants, Villatoro Moreno managed Los Villatoros Harvesting (LVH), a farm labor contracting company that exploited Mexican nationals who came to the U.S. on short-term H-2A visas between 2015 and 2017. These workers were recruited with false information about pay, working hours, and conditions, and were charged excessive recruiting fees.
The victims were compelled to work long hours, six to seven days a week, harvesting fruits and vegetables in states including Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, and North Carolina. The defendants imposed coercive controls, such as passport confiscation and debt bondage, and forced workers to live in overcrowded, unsanitary, and degrading conditions. The workers received less than the pay guaranteed by law, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities in migrant labor protections.
This case exposes the dark side of agricultural labor contracting in the U.S., where migrant workers remain susceptible to exploitation despite legal visa protections. It underscores the need for stronger enforcement measures to prevent abuse of vulnerable labor populations critical to the agricultural industry. The guilty plea also sets a precedent for holding labor contractors criminally accountable for human trafficking and forced labor offenses.
Thousands of migrant workers rely on the H-2A visa program annually, and this conviction sends a message to exploiters that they will face significant legal consequences for violating workers’ rights. Ensuring safe and fair working conditions for agricultural laborers is vital to maintaining the integrity and sustainability of the U.S. food supply chain.
