A Texas midwife, Maria Margarita Rojas, has been arrested and charged with performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without a license. The arrest marks the first criminal charges under Texas’s near-total abortion ban, which took effect in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
State Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest, stating that Rojas, 49, owned and operated three clinics in northwest Houston where she allegedly performed illegal abortions and employed individuals falsely claiming to be licensed medical professionals.
“In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state’s pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,” Paxton said in a statement. “Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.”
Rojas was first arrested on March 6 for criminal conspiracy to practice medicine without a license and released on a $10,000 bond. She was re-arrested on March 17 on charges of performing illegal abortions and violating the state’s occupation code.
The charge of performing an illegal abortion is a second-degree felony, carrying a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Practicing medicine without a license is a third-degree felony.
Texas law allows abortion only when a physician determines it is necessary to save the life of a pregnant person or prevent substantial impairment of a major bodily function.
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