Man who led immigrant brothel ring pleads guilty

[peejay 327]

Man who led immigrant brothel ring pleads guilty

Associated Press

AUSTIN — A man accused of managing brothels in the Austin area and Oklahoma City that used smuggled immigrant women pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Juan Balderas-Orosco, 34, faces up to 30 years in prison for transportation for prostitution, importation of illegal aliens and conspiracy to smuggle, transport and harbor illegal aliens. He pleaded guilty Friday.

Authorities say the Austin and Oklahoma city operations Balderas ran were part of a larger ring that included brothels in 13 cities, including ones across Texas, and in Las Vegas, New York City and Atlanta.

The ringleaders sneaked hundreds of women into the country and forced them to have sex with as many as 40 men a day, many of them illegal immigrants. They moved the women from brothel to brothel and kept their earnings, according to court documents.

"The prostitutes reported they were not free to leave the brothels on their own, and the brothel operators were usually armed with firearms," according to a court document.

In 2002, immigration agents and Austin police raided a house, which they later said was a brothel run by Balderas.

Balderas was captured last year. He is the lead defendant in an indictment that charges 12 people with smuggling and prostitution crimes. Seven have pleaded guilty in the case, including Mohammad Arami, who pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Three defendants are at large, including a woman accused of running the brothel ring.

Maria Camacho-Teran, considered one of the top leaders of the brothel ring, was arrested in December. Her case is pending.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/4542793.html

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

It is the second oldest profession after all.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

They recently busted an international prostitution ring in Colorado, too.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I see, those are the jobs that Americans won't do.

[peejay 327]

I see, those are the jobs that Americans won't do.

Especially when they don't get paid for doing it. Being a sex slave isn't exactly a desirable career move.

[DeadPoolX 9]

It is the second oldest profession after all.

I've read that the oldest profession is "witch doctor."

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

It is the second oldest profession after all.

I've read that the oldest profession is "witch doctor."

or wife. same difference

[Hornet 2]

Legalize it and regulate it and there wouldn't be the financial gain for criminals to do this!! If a woman chooses to do it that's her business! Not the govt's. And the woman would be better off and safer.

Penn & Teller had a great showtime BS episode on this. Every argument against prostitution goes away when you legalize it.

The underground sex slave industry exists BECOZ they can make money doing it!!! Take that ability away from the criminals.

Problem solved. At least a lot of it would be.

good editorial

http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_10.23.0.../editorial.html

[Fandango 1,440]

40 men a day omG!

And I agree with the legalization of prostitution. I was strangely just talking about this the other day.....it would make it safer all the way around.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Legalize it and regulate it and there wouldn't be the financial gain for criminals to do this!! If a woman chooses to do it that's her business! Not the govt's. And the woman would be better off and safer.

Penn & Teller had a great showtime BS episode on this. Every argument against prostitution goes away when you legalize it.

The underground sex slave industry exists BECOZ they can make money doing it!!! Take that ability away from the criminals.

Problem solved. At least a lot of it would be.

good editorial

http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_10.23.0.../editorial.html

Same with drugs.

[rebeccajo 14]

And ya'll wonder why there is IMBRA, and the John Walsh Act, etc.?

[Robor007 0]

Legalize it and regulate it and there wouldn't be the financial gain for criminals to do this!! If a woman chooses to do it that's her business! Not the govt's. And the woman would be better off and safer.

Penn & Teller had a great showtime BS episode on this. Every argument against prostitution goes away when you legalize it.

The underground sex slave industry exists BECOZ they can make money doing it!!! Take that ability away from the criminals.

Problem solved. At least a lot of it would be.

good editorial

http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_10.23.0.../editorial.html

Same with drugs.

Agree. And the hardest drug I've ever done is alcohol.

[cbd2cai 0]

Yep, they busted some of these rings in Dallas a few months back . . . Asian women! Just sad . . . some deported and some were able to stay! Just sad.

But I agree about legalization. Legalize and regulate . . . imagine it might make it safer and cleaner for everyone.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Houston is well known for its prostitution rings. In fact, Houston supposedly has more prostitution in all of its varying forms (street walkers, brothels, massage parlors, etc) than any other city in the United States. Most of the time, the HPD look the other way. There's a brothel off Winsome and right near Westheimer called the Vellagio (I don't know if I spelled that correctly), and no, I've never been there, but I have driven past the neon-lit eyesore many times, and there are always cars parked infront. The amazing thing about Houston is that the locale of places doesn't make any sense. Almost directly across from the Vellagio is a restaurant called The Palms, which is a really nice place (and it's stuck in a stripmall of all places!), but no one really notices the oddness factor of this.

Anyway...I see nothing wrong with legalizing prostitution and some drugs.

Prostitution could become regulated and heavily taxed. The revenue generated by taxation could be put towards other more useful and positive venues, such as education or public works. As for drugs, the reason I say "some drugs" is because I don't believe cocaine or heroin (for instance) should be legal; however, I could see marijuana becoming legal, based on the fact that it's a relatively harmless drug (at least when compared to other illegal drugs -- even legal ones such as alcohol or nicotine).

[cbd2cai 0]

. . . . The amazing thing about Houston is that the locale of places doesn't make any sense. Almost directly across from the Vellagio is a restaurant called The Palms, which is a really nice place (and it's stuck in a stripmall of all places!), but no one really notices the oddness factor of this.

I think it is because Houston doesn't have zoning laws like they have in Dallas . . . so ppl can build anywhere they want. Well, that's what I heard several years ago . . . i thought maybe they had changed it, but even if they had they'd "grandfather" the stuff in.

Around here, a brothel (or sexually oriented business of any kind) can't be located within a certain distance from a school/church, whatever . . . of course, they also have rules about where retail and mixed family dwellings can be located.