The federal agents arrested 31 people on Thursday for allegedly smuggling Korean women into the United States and forcing them to prostitute themselves as payment for the “benefits” they received.
The round-up occurred after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) representatives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local authorities released the results of an investigation initiated in May of 2005 when a couple of Koreans, who were operating a chain of brothels in Queens, tried to bribe an undercover police officer to protect their business. During the operation, it was discovered that the women working in the brothels were brought to the country illegally – some with fake documents and others smuggled through Canadian and Mexican borders – and installed in brothels in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
“This operation curbed an organization that exchanges human dignity for profit and greed,” said Julie Myers, ICE assistant secretary. She added that the authorities managed to rescue 67 victims, who were placed in safe areas and were given medical attention. The victims will also get temporary visas in order to remain in the United States legally as victims of human trafficking.
Michael Garcia, the federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, indicated that each of the 19 raided brothels gained profits of up to $20,000 per month from every woman. He added that the victims were obligated to pay their “debt” [for being in the United States] calculated by their bosses, amounting to thousands of dollars. And many times, Garcia added, the smugglers threatened to hurt the women and their families if the women tried to escape or refused to work.
“The women’s dream to have a better life turned out to be a nightmare,” said Garcia.
The smugglers were charged with human trafficking, transporting women for prostitution, and transporting illegal aliens. If found guilty, they could face 10 years in prison. In March, a detective and an NYPD agent were arrested for accepting money from the smuggling ring to protect its illegal operations.
