A family should foster love, care, compassion, and trust among its members; family members should create a safe place for each and every member. But a family in Albuquerque defies this definition.
Authorities have charged three family members in Albuquerque with numerous felony charges after they organized a sex trafficking operation in six Albuquerque massage parlors.
The governor’s New Mexico Crime Commission, led by Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, has been investigating a string of local massage parlors for a month after an anonymous tipster reported the parlors’ suspicious activity.
According to the investigators, recruiters brought immigrant women, many of whom are Chinese, to Albuquerque with promises of real jobs and then forced them to live full-time at massage parlors and perform sex acts on men or they wouldn’t get paid.
The investigation led special agents to Yufang Bao, who owns six different parlors. Authorities now hold her in custody, and she faces 18 felony charges related to sex trafficking and prostitution.
Aside from Bao, the Bernalillo County D.A. Office states that her husband, John Tunney, and her son Guanxian Wang are also facing similar charges but are not currently in custody.
Bregman says anyone involved in this case will face “a long, long time in prison” if they prove guilty.
“And I hope that this case sends a very clear message to people out there who are willing to traffic other human beings, especially in the sex trade. This is disgusting,” said Bregman.”
The Harsh Reality of Immigrants
These recruiters often take advantage of those who want to leave their homeland to give their families better lives. And when these people are lured to the place with nothing but the recruiters’ assurance of a job and their promise to their families of a better life.
One of its victims experienced this exact scene. According to her, someone lured her to Albuquerque with a promise of a job as a cleaner. She later found out that her job required doing sexual acts.
Another victim told the investigators about the abuse she had experienced. She said recruiters had recruited her to be a masseuse and they would beat her, restrain her, and strike her if she refused to perform sexual acts on men.
“Forcing people to have sex with other people. Beating them if they don’t. This organization would beat some of these victims if they did not perform sex acts,” said Bregman.
The victim also told investigators that they would drop off supplies for her at the parlor because she was required to live there.
This is exactly what happens when recruiters promise people who want nothing but a better life for their families an interesting job with “good” pay. Other people should not take advantage of this.
People should not tolerate exploitation, and the law should punish those who exploit them.
Investigators Actions
The investigators visited other properties associated with the family, including a house reportedly owned by Yufang Bao. They found what appear to be financial records linking the family to operations at multiple massage parlors, along with tens of thousands of dollars in cash.
Aside from that, based on the photos provided by Bernalillo County D.A.’s Office, they found a money counter.
“But I hope that this case sends a very clear signal,” said Bregman. “We’re not gonna put up with it anymore.”
Further actions are still under review.