Houston Midwife Arrested for Illegal Abortions and Operating Unlicensed Clinics

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest of 48-year-old Maria Margarita Rojas, also known as “Dr. Maria,” for providing illegal abortions and operating a network of unlicensed clinics in the Northwest Houston area.

The Tomball Birth Center says that Rojas is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), accredited by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and is a Texas Licensed Midwife.  She is originally from Peru.

Rojas was taken into custody in Waller County and faces charges of the illegal performance of an abortion, a second-degree felony, and practicing medicine without a license.

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 investigation revealed that these clinics employed unlicensed individuals who posed as licensed medical professionals to provide medical treatment. Rojas also unlawfully performed abortions in violation of the Texas Human Life Protection Act.

In response to the illegal activities, the Attorney General’s Healthcare Program Enforcement Division has sought a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas’s network of clinics to prevent further violations. Under the Texas Human Life Protection Act, the state can impose civil penalties of at least $100,000 per violation for unlawful abortions.

“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,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.”

The case was referred to the Attorney General by Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore. Paxton reaffirmed his commitment to upholding Texas’s pro-life laws and prosecuting those who endanger women’s lives by performing illegal procedures.

UPDATE: Additional arrests have been made in this case. 29-year-old Jose Manuel Cendan-Ley was arrested on Mach 17th for the unlawful performance of an abortion and the unlicensed practice of medicine. Ley performed illegal medical procedures as a medical assistant at Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, TX and assisted Maria Margarita Rojas in providing at least one illegal abortion.

Ley is a Cuban national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was later paroled under the open borders policies enacted by the Biden Administration.

In connection to this investigation, 54-year-old Rubildo Labanino Matos was also arrested on March 8th upon returning to the U.S. from Cuba. Matos, a nurse practitioner whose license is currently on probation by the Board of Nursing, is charged with conspiracy to practice medicine without a license.