2 charged in sex trafficking ring between Seattle, New York City

SEATTLE - Two suspects are awaiting trial, accused of a sex trafficking ring operating out of both New York City and Seattle.

According to records filed with the Southern District Court of New York, suspects Jose Luis Hernandez Perez and Andreina Del Carmen Hernandez face sex trafficking conspiracy charges, stemming from an operation carried out since at least 2024.

The two were arrested near the University of Washington this week.

The backstory:

Homeland Security agents and police detectives had been tracking former Tren de Aragua members — as well as splinter group "Anti-Tren" members — since October 2024, including Hernandez Perez and and Del Carmen Hernandez.

Specifically, the two belonged to a gang called the "Espartanos," based in both Seattle and New York, which investigators say was led by Jesus David Barrios Garcia. The Espartanos engaged in sex trafficking in both cities, moving women between the two cities and forcing them to engage in sex work, threatening violence against them and their families if they did not comply.

According to court documents, Hernandez Perez was ordered to shoot a fellow Espartanos member for having a relationship with a trafficking victim, which was against the gang's rules.

Prosecutors allege that Del Carmen Hernandez would post online advertisements for paid sexual services, and would monitor the websites and respond to clients. She was also in charge of keeping the ledger and making sure neither their clients nor the sex trafficking victims shorted her or Barrios Garcia, prosecutors allege.

The other side:

Undercover detectives visited websites that hosted advertisements for paid sexual services in May 2024, coming into contact with who they say was Del Carmen Hernandez. They cross-referenced her phone number with a Zelle account under the name "Andreina Hernandez Perez," which showed frequent money transfers to another account named "Jesus Barrios Garcia," ranging between the amounts of $20 to $500 per payment.

In December 2024, detectives in Seattle arrested a different suspect in a sex trafficking sting and seized his phone. On it, they found Zelle payments made to the same "Andreina Hernandez Perez" account, as well as text messages between contacts in a group chat labeled "Espartanos," and phone numbers associated with Espartanos group members.

What's next:

Hernandez Perez is scheduled to appear in Seattle court on Thursday, and Del Carmen Hernandez is scheduled for Monday.

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