BATON ROUGE — East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s detectives investigated multiple human trafficking operations, starting back in August last year. From those two investigations, five women were rescued and 11 people were arrested.
In January, detectives with the EBRSO Criminal Intelligence Division received information that a person known as “Primo” was allegedly trafficking women out of an apartment on Holt Ave. After verifying the information, detectives began an investigation into “Primo’s” operation, which included surveillance on two homes in the Baton Rouge area (on Holt Ave. and Monticello Boulevard) and one in Kenner (on Moisant Street).
In the investigation, detectives identified Maurilio Vargas as “Primo,” along with his wife, Zabdi Guzman-Diaz, as a co-conspirator, per EBRSO. Detectives obtained warrants for their arrests as well as search warrants for the homes allegedly tied to the investigation.
During their searches, detectives arrested both Vargas and Guzman-Diaz. They were later booked in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on the following charges:
- Human Trafficking
- Pandering
- Promoting Prostitution
- Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile
The following items were also seized: a S&W .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and an AK 7.62×39 rifle.
According to EBRSO, three adult women were rescued from the trafficking operation, two of them in Baton Rouge and another in Kenner.
Second trafficking investigation
In August 2024, EBRSO Criminal Intelligence Division detectives received tips that a person known as “El Perro” was allegedly trafficking women out of an apartment in the LSU area. An investigation into “El Perro” began with surveillance on multiple homes in the Baton Rouge area and one in Harvey, La.
EBRSO detectives were able to identify Jesus Lopez as “El Perro,” along with other members of Lopez’s family as co-conspirators: his wife, Marlen Kirington Cruz, his daughter Zaira Lizeth Lopez Oliva, and his daughter-in-law, Kirsis Kirington.
Detectives obtained arrest warrants for them, along with search warrants for multiple locations tied to the investigation. Per EBRSO, Lopez, Cruz, Kirington and Oliva were arrested and booked on the following charges:
- Human trafficking
- Pandering
- Promoting prostitution
EBRSO reports that three additional Hispanic me were taken into ICE custody for allegedly being in the country illegally.
Altogether, the two investigations into trafficking networks resulted in the arrest of six people for human trafficking, with five adult women victims rescued. In addition, five men were arrested by ICE for being in the U.S. illegally and set for deportation.
“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,” said East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux. “Our detectives devoted thousands of hours to this investigation, following every lead and working relentlessly to rescue these victims. The moment they were safely recovered was both huge and deeply emotional for everyone involved. 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.”
Both the Department of Homeland Security and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office directly assisted both investigations.
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