ABILENE, Texas — A second restaurant worker is facing charges in connection with a human trafficking investigation in Abilene.
Officers arrested Peilun Jiao on Fri., Feb. 17.
According to court documents, Jiao, who is also known as "Alex", transported a man to and from the Fun Noodle restaurant where the man says he was forced to work.
The first restaurant worker was arrested in Nov. 2022. A Honduran migrant told authorities he was smuggled into the country and was forced to work up to 12-hour days at the restaurant in 2021 for scraps of food and no pay.
The victim says Alex, who admitted to being a manager at the restaurant, would threaten him with phone calls to ICE agents when he demanded his wages. The victim eventually escaped the situation to Dallas in the summer of 2021.
Jiao was released on bond Feb. 17.
His arrest comes a day after the first restaurant worker and the accused human smuggler were indicted on human trafficking charges.
Documents state that Jiao admitted to hiring Mexican workers and that Hai Zhuang hired Chinese workers. Jiao also confirmed that Gerardo Quijada-Soto provided those workers for a fee.
