Federal agents raided a Dallas strip club due to suspected human trafficking and illegal employment. According to the U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement, 41 undocumented immigrants were taken into custody, and $30,000 in cash was seized along with business records.
The raid took place on September 27 at Chicas Bonitas Cabaret and was led by Homeland Security Investigations Dallas with support from local and state law enforcement. The club is located on Harry Hines Boulevard near Walnut Hill Lane in Northwest Dallas.
According to ICE, out of the 41 individuals detained, 29 of them are believed to have been working unlawfully at the club. The Dallas field office is handling the immigration violations while Homeland Security Investigations conducts its criminal investigation into the business. Dallas Homeland special agent Travis Pickard is in charge and said that their operation is aimed at disrupting the suspected sex trafficking and identifying potential victims. He says, “HSI Dallas is committed to eradicating the vile scourge of sex trafficking from our local communities,” Pickard said. “Working in conjunction with our federal and local partners and leveraging HSI’s unique investigative authorities, we were able to disrupt the suspected trafficking operation at this cabaret and are working to identify potential victims.”
According to ICE, several of their detainees had prior criminal convictions that include various charges related to prostitution, DUIs, and assault.
Some of the detainees and their charges are:
Juan Carlos Salas Medina, who had illegally entered the U.S. 10 times and was convicted of aggravated assault, drug possession, and DUI.
Julios Cesar Martinez, 47, a Mexican national convicted three times for assault causing bodily injury and DUI.
Victor Manuel Manzano-Ramirez, 47, is a Mexican national who has illegally entered the U.S. twice and has a DUI conviction.
Gustavo Rojas-Garda, 44, a Mexican national with a DUI conviction.
Genaro Diaz-Perez, 44, a Mexican national convicted of prostitution-related offenses.
This raid involved several agencies outside of Homeland Security, including ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Dallas Police Department, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, according to ICE.
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