Houston-area woman arrested for providing illegal abortions, state attorney general's office says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Officials have arrested a Houston-area woman accused of illegally performing abortions in the city's northwest area.

According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 48-year-old Maria Rojas, who went by "Dr. Maria," was arrested in Waller County and is now charged with illegal performance of an abortion and with practicing medicine without a license.

Rojas operates several clinics in Waller, Spring, and Cypress and previously worked as a midwife.

The locations include Clinica Waller Latinoamericana, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic.

"These facilities unlawfully employed unlicensed individuals who falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals to provide medical treatment," Paxton said in a statement.

The state attorney general's office said procedures offered by Rojas at her clinics directly violate the Texas Human Life Protection Act.

ABC13 contacted the Waller County District Attorney's Office. An employee of hers, Jose Ley, was arrested and faces the same charges.

The office sent the following response:

"In Waller County, we respect the sanctity of all life and expect people to follow the laws of the Great State of Texas."

Waller County criminal district attorney Sean Whittmore spoke to ABC13. He wouldn't give specifics about the case, including who tipped authorities off or why Rojas was performing abortions.

"It's concerning there are people out there doing things without the proper training, and that puts anyone at risk," Whittmore said. "Any patient who walks in there and thinks they're being treated by a physician."

In addition to the arrest, authorities said they filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas' network of clinics to prevent further illegal activity.

Legal experts said lawmakers passed the Texas Protection of Life Act a few years ago.

"When this act was passed in 2023 in response to the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs overruling Roe V Wade, this act created civil and criminal penalties," attorney Brian Wice explained.

This is the first case they're aware of where someone is charged. If convicted, a person faces 20 years behind bars.

"Most doctors got the message that you better have a very good reason before you perform an abortion in Texas, and that caused a lot of issues, and there are many doctors and people who feel that statute is inappropriate," University of Houston law professor Seth Chandler explained.

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