The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, in coordination with the FBI and state and local law enforcement, conducted raids on nine Houston-area bars and nightclubs, reportedly linked to a significant trafficking network with drug cartel associations. As detailed by ABC13, this action arose from a decade-long investigation culminating on Friday, with the discovery of at least 50 victims believed to have been held against their will; as TABC Chairman Kevin Lilly highlighted in an exclusive interview, "It's sad to see that human beings were held in these kinds of conditions."
The ordeal of the victims did not include living at the raided establishments, nevertheless, those sites were evidently where the coercion for sex acts took place according to the TABC findings, and taking immediate action, the Commission issued emergency orders to cease operations of all nine implicated businesses for the next 90 days, "That goes into effect immediately. They are chained and locked," Lilly stated. Among those targeted in the raids were El Flamingo Club and La Condesa nightclub, notable for a heavy police presence reported on scene, as per ABC13.
In a parallel development, a north Houston massage establishment and several related businesses have been permanently shuttered following a state inspection that uncovered signs akin to human trafficking activities. KHOU 11 News reports that the emergency closure and ultimate shutdown were invoked by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) following a routine inspection’s revealing evidence suggesting that employees were living on-site among other troubling indicators.
TDLR spokesperson Tela Mange highlighted the complexity of operations, "Establishments like this often will move their employees between locations. It’s possible that was going on, we don’t know for certain," a web of intrigue that led to the revocation of licenses for businesses including Foot Reflexology Star and several others, all connected to Hsin Wei Chen; this marks a developed application of a new state law grants TDLR leverage to act decisively in suspected trafficking cases that involve massage parlors. The shutdown executed was the first of its kind in Texas since the inception of House Bill 3579, as reported by KHOU 11.
