New York, May 28 (IANS/EFE) A federal jury in New York has found three men guilty of forcing Latin American women into prostitution, a statement said.

The undocumented immigrants - from Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador - who worked as waitresses, were forced to have sex with customers at two bars in Long Island, said the Office of the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Two of the accused face sentences of life imprisonment, while the third could get 20 years in jail when the judge hands down their sentences.

"Those who exploit vulnerable individuals for personal gain will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," US attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement.

"We are committed to ensuring that everyone receives the full protection of our laws."

"Human trafficking of this kind is the equivalent of modern day slavery. It deprives its victims of their freedom and dignity, and it has no place in our country," said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division.