Federal jury convicts Venezuelan national on five counts in San Antonio minor sex trafficking case

Verdict follows second jury trial in federal court

A federal jury in San Antonio has convicted 23-year-old Venezuelan national Nelson Adrian Perez-Martinez on five felony counts tied to the sex trafficking of a 16-year-old girl. The verdict, returned on Feb. 23, 2026, followed a trial that began Feb. 17 and came after an earlier federal trial ended without a unanimous decision.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Perez-Martinez and co-defendant Giannys Alexandra Ramirez-Fernandez, 21, transported, harbored and maintained the girl for commercial sex, then used the proceeds to pay for basic living expenses. A sentencing date for Perez-Martinez had not been set as of Feb. 25, 2026. The case is being handled in U.S. District Court in San Antonio.

What investigators say happened

Evidence presented at trial described a multi-country trajectory. The victim, identified in court filings as an undocumented Venezuelan orphan, was living in Colombia when she met Ramirez-Fernandez. Prosecutors said Ramirez-Fernandez began a relationship with the girl when the child was 13 years old. The two later crossed into the United States in December 2022 and lived in Richmond, Kentucky.

Authorities said Perez-Martinez entered the United States in December 2023, joined them in Kentucky in June 2024, and the group traveled by bus to San Antonio in July 2024. Investigators stated the teen was moved among roughly six motels in San Antonio between July 19 and July 30, 2024, with rooms paid in cash.

Undercover operation led to arrests

Police and federal agents said the investigation culminated on July 30, 2024, when an undercover officer from the San Antonio Police Department’s Human Exploitation Unit responded to an online escort advertisement. The officer arranged a meeting at a motel on Pasteur Court. After the officer entered the room with the minor and obtained evidence of an agreement for commercial sex, the arrest team moved in.

Prosecutors alleged Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez were acting as “spotters” at the location and were arrested at the same time as part of the operation.

Charges, potential penalties, and co-defendant status

• In October 2025, Perez-Martinez was indicted on five counts, including aiding and abetting sex trafficking of a child, conspiracy to sex traffic a child, coercion and enticement of a minor, and transportation of a minor for criminal sexual activity.
• Ramirez-Fernandez pleaded guilty to three counts in a superseding indictment and faces a statutory sentencing range of 10 years to life in prison.
• Ramirez-Fernandez’s sentencing is scheduled for April 20, 2026, and an immigration detainer has been lodged for potential removal proceedings after she serves any sentence imposed.

Law enforcement agencies involved included Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department, with assistance from the FBI.

The case underscores how local vice investigations, online-ad enforcement, and federal trafficking statutes can intersect when minors are allegedly exploited across state lines and in temporary housing settings such as motels.