Santa Maria Labor Recruiter Sentenced to Prison for H-2A Wage Fraud Targeting 162 Farmworkers

NewsData.io · United States · Sep 3, 2026

Jorge Vasquez, 65, was sentenced to 366 days in federal prison and ordered to pay $165,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud involving 162 Mexican farmworkers recruited through the H-2A guest-worker program. Vasquez charged workers up to $15,000 for visa placements and paid them as little as $16–$16.50 per hour — well below the federally required Adverse Effect Wage Rate — while making illegal deductions for rent and transportation. Notably, Vasquez was a repeat offender who committed the new offenses while still on supervised release from a 2020 conviction for the same scheme. The case underscores ongoing federal enforcement pressure on H-2A labor contractors and the compliance obligations — including surety bonds and wage guarantees — that legitimate agricultural staffing firms must meet.