8 Individuals Charged in Connection with Texas Illegal Abortion Clinics

Court documents show at least one of the defendants also is indicted of immorally performing a revocation, in addition to the practice of drug charge.

Paxton, a Republican, in March also had filed midwife arrested Texas against Maria Margarita Rojas, a 49-year-old midwife in the Houston area. The attorney general alleged Rojas had performed illegal abortions and was operating a number of medical clinics without a license. In a statement, Paxton’s office said Rojas was the first defendant to be charged under the Texas Human Life Protection Act.

Nicole DeBorde Hochglaube, an attorney for Rojas, told CNN that her client “absolutely” maintains her innocence. “We’re continuing to fight for Ms. Rojas because we firmly believe she hasn’t committed any crime,” Hochglaube said. “So far, we’ve seen no credible evidence to support these accusations.”

Hochglaube has also raised objections to Paxton, saying his comments in the public about the defendants have been inflammatory, including referring to the defendants as a “cabal of abortion-loving radicals.” Hochglaube said his comments in the public were a violation of the state’s professional rules of conduct for lawyers.

The Center for Reproductive Rights has called Maria Margarita Rojas case politically motivated. The group, which represents Rojas in a separate civil lawsuit, said the prosecution was baseless. “Without evidence, Paxton targeted Rojas—a licensed midwife devoted to serving her pregnant patients. He cruelly shut down clinics that provided affordable care to low-income, uninsured immigrant families across Houston,” Jenna Hudson, a senior counsel at the group, said in a statement to CNN.

Supporting documents for all eight defendants were not immediately available, but some were listed on court dockets. CNN has reached out to Paxton’s office and the Waller County district attorney for comment.

In his statement, Paxton said several of the defendants are foreign citizens.