Federal agents lifted the veil at a Dallas strip club, apprehending dozens of individuals suspected to be illegal immigrants and confiscating tens of thousands of dollars in U.S. currency.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas, supported by federal, state, and local law enforcement, carried out a criminal search warrant at Chicas Bonitas Cabaret on Friday due to suspected human trafficking and illegal employment, according to a news release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Authorities stated that 41 illegal immigrants, including 29 individuals believed to be unlawfully employed at the club, were detained by the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office for breaches of immigration regulations.
At least five of the suspects arrested had criminal records, according to authorities. (ICE; Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Travis Pickard, the special agent in charge of HSI Dallas, expressed the agency’s dedication to “eliminating the heinous plague of sex trafficking from our local environments.”
“By collaborating with our federal and local partners and using HSI’s distinct investigative powers, we managed to disrupt the suspected trafficking operation at this cabaret and are actively working to identify potential victims,” Pickard stated in the release.
FOX 4 Dallas indicated that nearby business owners did not observe anything out of the ordinary at the location before the raid but reported a decline in business activity following the arrests.
