Highland Park woman charged with trafficking immigrants from Mexico, forcing them into labor

A woman from Highland Park is accused of trafficking four people from Mexico, controlling their lives and forcing three of them into labor to cover a “debt” for their entry into the United States.

Gladys Ibanez Olea, 34, allegedly told the immigrants that their families back home would be killed if they didn’t comply with her demands, the Lake County sheriff’s office said.

Olea, of the 500 block of Onwentsia Avenue, is charged with eight counts of trafficking in persons and seven counts of involuntary servitude, the sheriff’s office said.

La Voz Sidebar

Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago, la sección bilingüe del Sun-Times.

Olea promised the group — a 19-year-old woman and her 2-year-old son, as well as a 22-year-old woman and her 15-year-old brother — housing, safety and jobs when she arranged for them to be illegally escorted into the country around July 2023, the sheriff’s office said. The two immigrant families were unknown to one another at the time.

But after the they arrived at her home, Olea stripped the victims of their identification, money and other goods, the sheriff’s office said. Olea then allegedly forced the adults and the 15-year-old into jobs and seized their earnings to pay off their “debt” for their safe entry into the country.

The “debt” they owed kept growing, and it appeared very unlikely they would be able to pay it off, the sheriff’s office said.

Olea also allegedly controlled other aspects of their lives. There were padlocks around the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator, according to the sheriff’s office. The 15-year-old was not allowed to attend school, and Olea allegedly created a fake I.D. for him showing he was 19 so he could work.

The 2-year-old was prevented from falling asleep during the day. Olea gave him cold baths to keep him awake so he could sleep at night, according to the sheriff’s office.

Highland Park police and officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security searched Olea’s home Feb. 7 after receiving a tip about what was going on in the residence. The four people were rescued and are now receiving support services.

The Lake County state’s attorney’s office issued an arrest warrant Tuesday and Olea was taken into custody at her home.

“Human trafficking is a real problem across the United States and right here in Lake County,” Sheriff John Idleburg said in a statement. “I am thankful these four victims were saved from their abuser and are no longer living in fear.”

Additional charges are possible, the sheriff’s office said.