Cuban citizen arrested by TABC agents on labor trafficking charges in North Texas
A Cuban citizen is facing charges of labor trafficking after an investigation by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, according to a news release Thursday.
Luis Diaz Sala was arrested and is being held in the Dallas County Jail after investigators with the TABC identified in him February 2022 as a suspected labor trafficker, according to the news release. Authorities with TABC, Dallas police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that they determined in an investigation that Diaz Sala was involved with “an organized crime element” smuggling people from Cuba to the U.S. and forcing them to work at a business with a TABC license to pay off smuggling debts.
During the investigation, TABC agents observed Diaz Sala at the business on multiple occasions and confirmed that he had ties to the business’ management, according to the release. Agents obtained an arrest warrant for Diaz Sala in May and arrested him at his home in Irving on May 24 on violations of Texas’ labor trafficking laws.
TABC Executive Director Thomas Graham described the arrest as “a huge win” for the commission’s special investigations unit.
“Stopping labor trafficking and human trafficking is a top priority for this agency, and we will continue to work tirelessly to identify these suspected traffickers and bring them to justice,” he said in the release.
The name of the business agents believe was involved in the scheme will be released after the TABC closes a related investigation, officials said.