A harrowing case has surfaced involving a Honduran girl smuggled into the United States, where she suffered brutal abuse at the hands of her uncle and two others who initially posed as her rescuers. The uncle, who served as the girl’s sponsor, had been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under the Biden administration, officials revealed on Friday.

Authorities have charged 49-year-old Felix Bustillo Diaz, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, along with 45-year-old Salvadoran national Jose Gerber-Rivera, for the sexual assault of Bustillo’s grandniece. The arrests were made in the Houston area.

“The actions uncovered during this investigation are deeply troubling and indefensible,” stated Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations in Houston. “Our agents, alongside our partners, have worked diligently to bring these offenders to justice. At HSI, the protection and security of victims are of utmost importance.”

Felix Bustillo Diaz and Jose Gerber-Rivera face serious charges for allegedly abusing Bustillo’s niece, according to ICE officials.

Rivera was apprehended with the help of the Montgomery County Constable’s Office in The Woodlands, Texas, on November 4. Bustillo, already held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigration offenses, was subsequently transferred to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

The girl was smuggled into the U.S. by her mother during the Obama administration and was left alone with Bustillo, her sponsor, authorities said. 

Bustillo was granted TPS in 2024 despite a criminal record. His TPS has since been revoked. 

The girl, at one point, escaped from Bustillo with help from Brenda Garcia, 38, and Tania Garcia, 37, both Houston-area residents, who falsely told her they were rescuing her, authorities said. Instead, they allegedly zip-tied her, beat, tortured and malnourished the girl. 

They also allegedly forced her to perform manual labor for them. 

Brenda Garcia, 38, and Tania Garcia, 37, are charged abusing a young Honduran girl.  (Texas Department of Criminal Justice)

The girl said the sisters beat her, starved her, and restrained her. According to court documents, she was bound with zip ties at night and, at times, tied to a chair for “stealing food.”

She also told police that Brenda Garcia took nude photos of her and wrapped her hands around her neck, strangling her while saying, “Just die already,” Fox News Digital previously reported. 

She also told detectives that she was hit with cables and a belt with a spike on it until she bled. Her mattress was taken away, and she was only allowed to sleep on a tablecloth on the floor while restrained, according to court documents.

Brenda Garcia also allegedly took photos and video of the girl as she showered and would call her names, prosecutors said. The child eventually escaped her restraints on Sept. 28. 

Both women were arrested on Oct. 3 on suspicion of felony injury to a child, unlawful restraint, and invasive visual recording.