HOUSTON – Several Houston-area bars and clubs have received a 90-day suspension from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) after an investigation into alleged human trafficking.
The TABC and the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance performed the raids, leading to the emergency suspensions at nine locations that the TABC says were “in flagrant violation of international justice.”
The commission says the raids are the result of ten years of investigations, which involved the TABC, as well as local, state and federal law enforcement.
“This operation was a massive undertaking that is likely the largest of its kind in Texas history,” wrote TABC Chairman Kevin J. Lilly in a statement.
The suspended businesses included:
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El Flamingo Club, 3715 Aldine Mail Rt.
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Koko Bongo, 955 Federal Rd.
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Los Escorpiones #2, 1636 Federal Rd.
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Los Escorpiones #5, 2815 Luell St.
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El Cruzero Sports Bar, 7715 W. Hardy
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Bora Bora Sports Bar, 11028 Aldine Westfield Rd.
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El Rinconcito Night Club, 743 Freeport St.
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La Condesa, 8810 Jensen Dr.
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Las Margaritas Night Club, 210 E. Little York Rd.
All nine locations received the suspensions under Alcoholic Beverage Code Sec. 11.614.
The code allows for the emergency suspensions if a business poses a “continuing threat to the public welfare.”
“Our primary goal tonight was to shut down these hives of criminal activity and to put a stop to the continued victimization of the people held there against their will. This investigation is not over, and we’ll be working closely with our partners in HTRA to track down all of the suspected traffickers involved in these heinous crimes,” wrote Lilly.
More information is expected to be released about the raids next week.
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