Jorge Vasquez sentenced for H-2A visa fraud and farmworker exploitation

Jorge Vasquez, 65, of Santa Maria, has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud involving the exploitation of farmworkers. Vasquez pleaded guilty to charges related to a scheme that targeted Mexican nationals seeking H-2A visas to work in the United States.

According to federal authorities, Vasquez and his co-conspirators fraudulently recruited 162 foreign workers for his entities, Cuyama Valley Farms LLC and JJB Farm LLC. Although the H-2A program prohibits employers from charging workers for visa fees, equipment, housing, or transportation, Vasquez charged individuals between $8,000 and $15,000 for their visas.

Furthermore, Vasquez falsely represented to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that workers would not be charged fees and would receive specific hourly wages. In reality, he paid the workers at a reduced rate and charged them for housing and transportation once they arrived in the country. In addition to his prison sentence, Vasquez was ordered to pay $165,157 in restitution.