Bellevue, Washington, United States
Yes - This raid happened in 1996, long before the law enforcement knew what human trafficking was. The women who were being prostituted from this house ranged from ages 19-25. They were from Thailand, Taiwan and Laos. Four of the women were in the US illegally. Police also said the women worked as prostitutes as part of a ring that operated in Sacramento, LA, and Oklahoma.
Location
United States · Bellevue, Washington · 1996 (location generalized to protect survivors)
Response & intervention
After a month of surveillance on the house in downtown Bellevue, Bellevue police raided and arrested 11 people. Three men who ran the house, three customers, and 5 women were taken into custody.
These women were not treated as trafficked victims; they were arrested and most likey deported (four were in the US illegally).
For more information about this case, please see: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960320&slug=2319927 AND http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/archives/1996/9603210023.asp
Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). Use “Report a problem” below to add a source or flag an issue.