Federal authorities have brought criminal charges against three individuals from Mexico in connection with an alleged scheme to exploit agricultural workers through forced labor, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The defendants are accused of coercing Mexican farm laborers into working against their will and illegally harboring them in the United States once their H-2A work visas had expired, all while profiting from the arrangement, Justice Department officials announced.
The H-2A program allows agricultural employers to bring foreign workers to the United States temporarily when American workers are not available for seasonal farm work.
