Overview
- Federal prosecutors named Cesar Martell, Janaka Manatunga, Barney Flores and Abdou Mbacke, with three in custody and Mbacke wanted as a fugitive.
- Officials said the federal kidnapping charges carry possible life sentences.
- Investigators allege the men posed as trusted rideshare drivers, diverted trips or blocked exits, and sexually assaulted female passengers.
- Court filings describe incidents from 2021 to 2025, including two cases tied to Martell with alleged strangulation, a December 2023 motel assault tied to Mbacke, and separate 2025 cases involving Flores and Manatunga.
- Operation Lighthouse combines the DOJ, FBI, Houston police and Harris and Montgomery county sheriff’s offices, and investigators are seeking additional victims via 1-800-CALL-FBI and tips.fbi.gov; Uber says it removed the drivers’ access after reports and is assisting.