Federal Agents in Houston
arrested 13 suspects in connection with an alleged sex trafficking ring in
Houston that prostituted underage, undocumented girls from Mexico for up to
$500 per hour, according to an indictment unsealed Friday morning.
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| Nuevo Amencer bar on Telephone Road, site of trafficking |
Several bars and brothels were
targeted, including one on Telephone Road where area residents saw they saw 20
or more young girls being led out of the Nevo Amanecer nightclub after the raid.
The Houston Chronicle reports
that: The girls were kept locked in a
second-story room above a bar now called Nuevo Amanecer, and the ring charged a
$20 fee for a condom and $15 to use a prostitution room, according to the
indictment. The room and condom fees topped $1.26 million from February 2012 to
August.
This problem in Houston has not
gone unnoticed by the Texas legislature.
During the 83rd legislative session, eight landmark bills
were passed aimed at protecting victims of human trafficking and strengthening prosecution
of the criminals behind it. (see Article by Sen Joan Huffman)
One study cited by Senator
Huffman says that 25% of the nation’s human trafficking victims are in Texas
and Houston has an unwanted reputation of being a major hub of
trafficking.
It looks as though the feds will
throw the book at those caught in these raids.
The State and city are sure to follow.
Good. This is a horrible evil and
nothing short of modern-day slavery.
Photo credit (Cody Duty/Houston
Chronicle)
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