Feds in Minnesota charge 21 new defendants in sweeping probe of Thai sex ring

[webfact]

Feds in Minnesota charge 21 new defendants in sweeping probe of Thai sex ring

By Stephen Montemayor Star Tribune

 

Federal investigation began in Minnesota and discovered Thai women working as 'sex slaves.' 

 

MINNEAPOLIS: -- One of the nation’s largest sex-trafficking prosecutions yielded its second indictment Thursday, when federal authorities in Minneapolis announced charges against 21 leaders of a conspiracy that allegedly trafficked hundreds of Thai women throughout the United States.

 

The new indictment, which grew out of a Minnesota investigation, brings the number of people charged in the “Bangkok Dark Nights” case to 38. Officials hope it will deal a blow to the organization’s leaders, who allegedly laundered millions of dollars in illicit proceeds from the scheme.

 

“Our every intention is to … cripple this organization to a point where they aren’t going to be able to reconstitute again,” said Alex Khu, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ local office.

 

Khu said agents arrested all but one of the new defendants on Wednesday at locations in California, Texas and the Chicago area.

 

Full story: http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-feds-charge-21-new-defendants-in-sweeping-probe-of-thai-sex-ring/424376863/

 

-- StarTribune 2017-05-26

 

[darksidedog]

Thailand in the world headlines for human trafficking again, though I am sure the authorities will try to suggest it was foreigners running it.

You just gotta love Thai girls though, eh? Dropping their knickers all over the world.

[ezzra]

Thais peddling sex and sex workers all over the world, that a new one to me...(yeah, right )

[55Jay]

Full article link in OP is worth a read.  Ringleaders are here in Thailand.  The set up sounds fairly standard, they were making and laundering millions.  The Feds have a nice little windfall for the Treasury.

 

It's this kind of shit that causes government to tighten up and, end of the day, impacts vast majority of "normal" people, such my wife, who's about to apply for another US visit visa.  Or perhaps additional scrutiny on routine money transfers from US banks via Bangkok Bank NY.

[iReason]

From the OP:

 

"Announcing the charges at a news conference in Minneapolis, Acting U.S. Attorney Greg Brooker described the conspiracy as “an elaborate web of criminal activity where the members were making tens of millions of dollars” by exploiting vulnerable women, often from impoverished backgrounds and who spoke little to no English."

 

"The total number of women trafficked by the organization could reach the thousands, authorities said."

 

"After being promised a better life in the U.S., the women were forced into working at all hours of the day, up to seven days a week, to pay down “bondage debts” of up to $60,000 apiece."

[thaihome]

This is the second round of indictments in the case with the alleged ring leader in the process of being extradited from Belgium to the US. Likely brought about by new evidence given by people previously arrested.

http://www.startribune.com/feds-to-announce-bust-of-global-sex-ring/395996911/

 

Still no details on how the women were able to get visas, that is the most important detail to US expats based in Thailand with Thai wives.

 

Hard to imagine it did not involve somebody in the Consulate,  but I guess with elaborate preparation you could fake a background and reason to go the US that would pass muster.

 

At least one person admits to marrying one of the women to get her in. Getting somebody to marry everyone of the women brought into US seems highly inefficient and expensive way to do it.

 

Have not seen a copies of the indictments so not sure if that is even addressed there. US coverage is more likely to focus on lurid details of the exploitation in the US rather then nuts and bolts details of how they got in.

TH 

[kingstonkid]

And people wonder why it is so hard to get the GF or wife a visa

[Emster23]

" Officials hope it will deal a blow to the organization’s leaders.."

Perhaps could have used other term than "blow"?

I do wonder about some collusion at US embassy. As one who has dealt with trying to get visa for Thai gf, it is about as likely as Trump heading UNESCO after he leaves office. Less likely, come to think of it

[Bill Miller]

6 hours ago, 55Jay said:

Full article link in OP is worth a read.  Ringleaders are here in Thailand.  The set up sounds fairly standard, they were making and laundering millions.  The Feds have a nice little windfall for the Treasury.

 

It's this kind of shit that causes government to tighten up and, end of the day, impacts vast majority of "normal" people, such my wife, who's about to apply for another US visit visa.  Or perhaps additional scrutiny on routine money transfers from US banks via Bangkok Bank NY.

Yeah, could not get a visitor's visa for my lady friend. She really just wants to see a little of the country and meet my sisters. New house and car she is paying on, plus lots of family obligations. They did not even look at all the documentation and a detailed travel itinerary. "Hey, sorry you paid your 1800 baht. Nope and goodbye." Twice.

Edited May 26, 2017 by Bill Miller

[NanLaew]

I wonder when this story will feature in the local news services?

[boomerangutang]

If a Thai gal marries a guy for money, who is 33 years older who has a beer gut and yellow teeth, that's ok.  But if the same gal has some sex for 15 minutes with the same sort of guy, that's a crime.

[Scott]

Quite a few years ago, I worked for the Embassy.   At that time, it was much harder for Thais to get a visa than it is now, primarily because it was a much poorer country.   The biggest criteria is to overcome the presumption that you will remain in the US.  

 

For those with the income and who have had a reasonably long term, stable relationship, the visa problem is not that difficult.   For those who have a girl friend they want to take on a trip, it's a little more difficult.  

 

For traffickers they employ a lot of different tricks to get people into the US.   Many of them most likely did not enter with a visa.   They may have entered through Canada or Mexico and then crossed illegally.  

 

A fair number of them may actually be in the US legally and listed as working in restaurants or some other rather menial job, but are forced to engage in prostitution as the main occupation.  

 

There are roughly 1.3 million Asian illegal immigrants, that make up about 12% of the illegal population.  

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sahra-vang-nguyen/5-terrifying-facts-about-_b_5670005.html

[IAMHERE]

WHO at the US Embassy approved the visa?  Who approved 'most' of the visa's ?  Sombody at that Embassy is living way above their pay grade, wonder who!

[Scott]

2 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

WHO at the US Embassy approved the visa?  Who approved 'most' of the visa's ?  Sombody at that Embassy is living way above their pay grade, wonder who!

The Embassy doesn't work that way and an interview cannot be scheduled with a particular officer.   I doubt there was collusion and I doubt that all this occurred from one embassy.

 

Staff are routinely rotated in and out.  

 

 

[boomerangutang]

Some not-so-legal things/people get to the US via Latin America.  For example; most Fentanyl pills (highly addictive and often deadly tranquilizer) found in the US and Canada, first goes from China to Mexico, and then smuggled across the border. 

 

So, it wouldn't be hard to imagine, if traffickers wanted to get Asian chicks to N.America, probably the easiest way would be first to Mexico, ....and then.....

 

[Bangkok Barry]

On 5/26/2017 at 5:35 AM, darksidedog said:

Thailand in the world headlines for human trafficking again, though I am sure the authorities will try to suggest it was foreigners running it.

You just gotta love Thai girls though, eh? Dropping their knickers all over the world.

One of Thailand's biggest exports? 

[free123]

On 26.5.2017 at 1:41 PM, thaihome said:

This is the second round of indictments in the case with the alleged ring leader in the process of being extradited from Belgium to the US. Likely brought about by new evidence given by people previously arrested.

http://www.startribune.com/feds-to-announce-bust-of-global-sex-ring/395996911/

 

Still no details on how the women were able to get visas, that is the most important detail to US expats based in Thailand with Thai wives.

 

Hard to imagine it did not involve somebody in the Consulate,  but I guess with elaborate preparation you could fake a background and reason to go the US that would pass muster.

 

At least one person admits to marrying one of the women to get her in. Getting somebody to marry everyone of the women brought into US seems highly inefficient and expensive way to do it.

 

Have not seen a copies of the indictments so not sure if that is even addressed there. US coverage is more likely to focus on lurid details of the exploitation in the US rather then nuts and bolts details of how they got in.

TH 

maybe they went through mexico and changed passports