A Cambridge man, Daniel Rodriguez, 36, has been charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion after allegedly forcing a woman to engage in commercial sex across several states, including Massachusetts, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maine. Rodriguez is currently held in state custody and is expected to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Rodriguez began trafficking the victim in 2025. Authorities allege that when the victim tried to leave him in early January 2026, Rodriguez posed as a sex buyer to find her and required her to return with him to Boston. On January 13, 2026, while transporting the victim between hotels for commercial sex acts, law enforcement stopped Rodriguez’s car for an alleged traffic violation. As officers approached the vehicle, Rodriguez reportedly sped away at over 100 mph while yelling at the victim and blaming her for the stop. He crashed the car during a high-speed chase and fled on foot, leaving his injured victim behind. Authorities say he sent an accomplice to pick up the victim from the hospital and advertised her for commercial sex within hours of her discharge.
Rodriguez was arrested in Middleboro on January 14 on a state warrant issued by Quincy District Court.
The federal complaint also alleges that Rodriguez trafficked at least three other women—one of them a minor—in 2017, 2018 and 2023. He is accused of using violence and threats against his victims and following through on threats if they attempted to leave.
If convicted of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, Rodriguez faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison with a maximum of life imprisonment. The charge also carries at least five years of supervised release and up to $250,000 in fines. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” Ted E. Docks Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigations; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Riley and Craig Estes from the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are involved in prosecuting this case.
Anyone who may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking is encouraged to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.