Luring illegal immigrants into a country for the purpose of coerced sex work is widely reported elsewhere but rarely reported in the U. Surely it happens. How bad is the problem? Several years ago I tried to find a pattern in San Francisco and found none, after talking with people informed about the sex work trade. Another relative, Maribel Vasquez Valenzuela, is being sought by authorities. The investigation began three months ago when two alleged victims of the ring escaped with the help of a male customer and contacted authorities, according to the U.
Two other victims were rescued by investigators last month. Ten women at the locations raided Wednesday were also believed to have been working as prostitutes and were being interviewed by authorities to determine if they also were victims. The story continues…. In a sworn affidavit used for the arrests and searches, FBI Agent Tricia Whitehill provided a harrowing account of how the young women were duped into coming to the U.
One victim, identified only by the initials I. Agreeing to the offer, I. There, she met a man and woman who drove her from Houston to Los Angeles. Never left alone long enough to escape, I. On occasion, she said, a van would take her and other victims to Alvarado Street, where they would pick up male customers and go to one of the many apartments used by the suspects for prostitution. For months, I. Then, on April 30, I. Furious about the escape, Vasquez Valenzuela repeatedly called I.
The victim identified as L. Smuggled into the U. Three months after that, L. But one Sunday, she and I. The suspects were expected to enter pleas next month after an indictment is issued. The U.
