84 Victims saved and 9 Bars in Houston Busted in Sex Trafficking Sting

There was a substantial crackdown involving the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), FBI, and local police, leading to the shutdown of nine Houston-area bars and clubs. This operation was part of what's being called the largest sex trafficking operation bust in Texas history, resulting in the identification of 84 potential victims. The businesses involved were issued 90-day emergency suspensions due to their connection with human trafficking and prostitution

According to reports, each of the businesses allegedly held 10 to 20 women against their will and were suspected of having ties to a cartel that the TABC reportedly declined to name.

“It’s sad to see that human beings were held in these kinds of conditions,” TABC Chairman Kevin Lilly told ABC13.

The investigation into these businesses took roughly 10 years to complete

In September 2023, a multi-agency operation led by agencies like HSI Houston and FBI Houston targeted the "Bissonnet Track" in Houston, known for sex trafficking, especially of minors. This operation resulted in the arrest of 10 individuals charged with various sex trafficking offenses, highlighting the collaborative approach to tackle this issue.

Another hub for brothels in Houston is massage parlors. David Reid says his RedM sources information from a platform called DarkWatch, a software that scrubs internet data to determine where human trafficking is happening.  David Reid, the CTO & CMO of RedM, a non-profit organization that supports victims of sex trafficking. 

"There’s about 675 [massage parlors] in the city places that were operating as brothels," Reid said. 

Earlier, in June 2024, a Houston massage parlor owner was banned for life from the business after his establishments were closed for suspected human trafficking. This reflects ongoing efforts to tackle trafficking within Houston through regulatory and law enforcement actions

The human trafficking business is a $245 billion industry.