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.
