Thread: 4 illegal immigrant brothels busted in Memphis

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=5578377

OCT. 23, 2006 6:00 PM CDT
Four illegal immigrant brothels busted in Memphis

MEMPHIS, TN -- 3822 Victory Heights in South Memphis was just one of the four brothels in the Latino community that advertised $30 dollars bought you 15 minutes with an illegal alien.

According to federal indictments the customers would use poker chips or beads to show proof of purchase -- a system that came crashing down as part of operation "Latina Libre" earlier this month.

"This is a big deal. To take down four houses of prostitution obviously they had a number of people involved in the operation and it continues to be an ongoing investigation," says U.S .Attorney David Kustoff.

Ten people where indicted Monday afternoon for money laundering, harboring illegal aliens and enticing women to engage in prostitution. It's an investigation that goes back to May 2004 but sources tell News Channel 3 it could stretch well beyond Memphis. Some of these illegal women were being shipped in from other countries and Memphis could be just a spoke in a bigger wheel.

Meanwhile clients continue to cruise the former brothels in their truck to see it they're still open for business. Neighbors like Johnny Riley say it's been going on for months.

"You know they don't belong on this street because this is a circle and not that much traffic on it so you can tell....it don't take long to tell what's going on."

But Riley and his neighbors are glad to see the feds and local authorities worked together to shut down Victory Heights along with the three other Memphis locations.

"They don't want this because this just adds to other stuff too....it just blossoms out into other things too. So they need to keep on top of it."

Ten people where indicted Monday afternoon for money laundering, harboring illegal aliens and enticing women to engage in prostitution.

It doesn't say a word about the prostitutes being arrested, they have probably already started up business somewhere else.

There are many illegal women working in the sex industry. Many of the illegal women who graduated high school with my daughter are now working as strippers according to a male friend of hers. In fact close to half if not more of her graduating class were illegals. There are also many escort services that hire them as well.