EXCLUSIVE: Deported Couple Accused Of Running ‘Barbaric’ Sex Ring After Sneaking Back Into US

A husband and wife duo accused of running a sophisticated sex ring in Louisiana are previously deported illegal migrants with lengthy rap sheets.

Murillo Lazano-Vargas and Zabdi Danea Guzman-Diaz were apprehended by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office earlier in November on charges related to the promotion of prostitution, human trafficking by force and pandering, according to local outlet WAFB. The married couple are Mexican nationals who are not only living in the U.S. unlawfully, but had already been deported from the country before returning to allegedly launch their illicit brothel enterprise, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). (RELATED: ‘Maryland Man’ Democrats Rushed To Defend Called Human Smugglers At Least 500 Times, Docs Allege)

“On November 6, ICE Homeland Security Investigations executed a search and arrest warrant for a human trafficking and sexual exploitation investigation,” a DHS spokesperson stated to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “HSI Law enforcement rescued three victims of these barbaric criminals.”

“Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], these human traffickers and predators are off the streets,” the DHS spokesperson continued. “President Trump and Secretary Noem are dismantling transnational criminal networks.”

Maurillo Lazcano-Vargas. DHS image.

Local law enforcement received a tip in January that an individual going by the moniker “Primo,” later identified as Lazcano-Vargas, was overseeing a home in the Baton Rouge area where prostitution and human trafficking were allegedly taking place, according to WAFB. The Mexican national allegedly used WhatsApp to send explicit images of females to arrange meetings with clients, with investigators later determining that his wife was a co-conspirator in the scheme.

Lazcano-Vargas was previously convicted for domestic abuse, child abuse and aggravated assault, and Guzman-Diaz was previously convicted of illegal entry, according to DHS.

“Human trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes in our society, and I’m extremely proud of the tireless work of our detectives and partner agencies in bringing these individuals to justice,” East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said in a public statement. “Rescuing these victims and holding their traffickers accountable is a testament to what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal agencies work together with one shared mission — to protect the vulnerable and ensure justice is served.”

The couple’s arrest marks the second sex ring bust by immigration and local law enforcement in the Baton Rouge area. Working in coordination with ICE agents, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office announced earlier in November the arrest of three Honduran nationals accused of exploiting numerous women through a similarly-run prostitution operation between May 2023 and October 2025.

Like Lazano-Vargas and Guzman-Diaz, the three prostitution ringleaders are illegal migrants who used WhatsApp messages to lure clients, according to the Advocate. The victims hailed from various parts of the world, such as Colombia and Guatemala.

The back-to-back sex ring busts follow GOP Gov. Jeff Landry’s signing of a partnership agreement with ICE earlier this year that empowers Louisiana law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration laws. Dubbed “Operation Geaux,” the order is intended to help local police better identify and remove criminal illegal migrants from their communities.

“If you’re here illegally and you engage in criminal activity, you are going to be deported or sent to jail,” Landry said when signing the order. “”Operation GEAUX is the kind of historic, one-of-a-kind partnership that the Trump Administration is looking for to fulfill the President’s promises of restoring law and order!”

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