10 face felony charges after multi-agency prostitution operation

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - Ten men are facing felony charges for Solicitation of Prostitution after a multi-agency conducted a prostitution operation in El Paso on June 21 and 22.

The Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division along with Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol, Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission, Fort Bliss Military CID, and the Western District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney's Office participated in the two day operation targeting individuals seeking to exploit and victimize prostitutes.

DPS said the taskforce identified and arrest those using the internet to solicit sexual acts from both minors and adults.

HB1540 was adopted in the 87th Texas Legislature which allows the ten men arrested during the sting to be charged with the Solicitation of Prostitution and filed as a State Jail Felony. If they are found to have a previous conviction they are charged with a Third-Degree Felony.

Arrested are Kevin Larry, 41, John Enrique Cordova, 38, Carlos Eduardo Ortiz, 22, Terry Roland Green, 47, Manuel Alejando Rivera, 39, Benjamin Olivares Mendoza, 49, Humberto Valenzuela, 37, Javier Arturo Trejo, 65 all of El Paso; Francisco Camacho Jr., 29, of Socorro, Texas, and Pedro Martin Rodriguez, Jr., 41, of Las Cruces,

They were arrested and booked into the El Paso County Jail.