Nationwide human trafficking bust targets illicit Chinese massage parlors

Fox News exclusively implicated the Austin Police Department as part of a nationwide human trafficking operation targeting illegal Chinese massage parlors.

“Austin Police! Search warrant! Come out with your hands up,” a loudspeaker shouted as detectives from the Human Trafficking Division combed an illegal lounge.

Inside, one sign advertised spa services, while another ironically warned against human trafficking. But it didn’t take long to realize there was something much darker going on. The rooms were cluttered with mattresses, towels and shower beds.

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Simultaneously, officers raided a second illegal massage parlor a few minutes away; A woman was found sleeping here, and there were signs that others were living there. Detectives collected evidence linked to human trafficking, including cash and documents.

The raids were part of a nationwide crackdown called “Operation Beach to Jacket” that involved more than 150 law enforcement agencies across the country, including teams in Texas, North Carolina, California, Missouri and New York.

The focus was on the illegal massage industry, which serves as a major human trafficking hub and moneymaker for Chinese organized crime networks.

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Nationwide, more than 30 people were arrested or detained on human trafficking and related charges, and more than 60 victims were rescued and served. According to authorities, the youngest victim was only 14 years old and was trafficked through escort sites and forced to service more than 10 men a day. The suspected trader was arrested during the operation.

This operation, coordinated by the Human Trafficking Center, marked the fourth time the founder brought together various agencies from across the country.

The Austin Police Department participated in a crackdown on illegal massage parlors as part of “Operation Coast to Coast.” (Brooke Taylor)

“About half of the agencies we deal with will go after the illegal massage industry, which is the fastest growing industry of all human trafficking in America,” said Dan Nash, founder of the Human Trafficking Education Center.

“This is all Chinese organized crime. And it’s all going back to China. All the money is going back to China. The victims are coming here from China. A lot of these states are saying, ‘How do we allow Chinese organized crime to smuggle so many people into America? Let’s stop this.’ And we’re coming together to stop it.”

Lt. John Brooks of the Austin Police Department emphasized that the work goes beyond dismantling criminal networks; It’s about repeat victims of exploitation.

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“Mostly they are being victimized, coerced, pressured and threatened in some way,” Lt. Brooks said. “Their passports are detained, their families are threatened, they themselves are threatened or they are made addicted to some kind of drug.

Lt. Brooks said his department takes a victim-centered approach with on-site victim services counselors. The toughest challenge, he said, is making victims realize there are options and resources available to help.

Austin Police Department Headquarters in Austin, Texas, June 18, 2021. (Reuters/Mikala Compton)

“When I come to a place like this and see these beds, I think about what goes through my mind, what these poor women must have gone through,” Lieutenant Brooks said.

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A national non-profit organization Safe House Project, He also participates in the operation to ensure victims receive the help and resources they need. CEO and founder Kristi Wells says it served more than 1,500 trafficking victims last year and is on track to serve more than 3,000 this year.

“We help survivors who are trying to escape a human trafficking situation, and in those 10 seconds of mad dare they try to escape, we help make sure they have the resources they need to get all the care and support they need to rebuild a life,” Wells said.

“We work with the individual to understand their individual situation and match them with the best safe home in the country that is equipped to meet those individual needs.”