Two residents of Yakima, Washington, Cesar Jamie Rebolledo Diaz and Socorro Ramos, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple charges including forced labor, victim tampering, aggravated identity theft, mail fraud, and wire fraud. The indictment was issued on February 11, 2026. Authorities are currently seeking to arrest both individuals.
According to the indictment, Rebolledo Diaz and Ramos are accused of fraudulently securing 103 temporary work visas through the H-2A program by falsely claiming employment with Marquez Farms LLC in Wapato, Washington. Documents were submitted to various federal agencies including the Department of Labor and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Ramos also allegedly misrepresented herself as a co-owner of Marquez Farms LLC while working to obtain these visas.
The indictment details that foreign workers from Mexico were recruited under false promises of paid employment at Marquez Farms LLC. Promises reportedly included adequate housing, food, travel expenses, and predictable job conditions. The workers were transported from the U.S.-Mexico border to Eastern Washington in overcrowded school buses lacking air conditioning or water. Upon arrival, some did not receive promised work or pay and faced inadequate food and housing conditions.
When state authorities began investigating their treatment of the laborers, Rebolledo Diaz and Ramos allegedly instructed workers to remain silent and report any who interacted with investigators.
First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano stated: “My office is committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims and protecting the integrity of a federal program vital to the success of our agricultural sector in the Eastern District of Washington.”
Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito said: “The Office of Inspector General is unwavering in our commitment to protect the integrity of the Department of Labor’s Foreign Labor Certification programs. When bad actors exploit vulnerable workers or attempt to game the system, we investigate, we expose, and we hold them accountable. At the same time, we safeguard the U.S. employers who follow the law and play by the rules. We will continue working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure these programs serve legitimate labor needs — not criminal enterprises. Fraud will not be tolerated. Accountability is not optional.”
Authorities emphasized that these charges are accusations only; evidence must still be presented at trial for a determination of guilt or innocence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney R. Pratten, Jeremy J. Kelley, and Tyler H.L. Tornabene are prosecuting this case following investigations conducted by both the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.
