Vista, CA, United States
Julio, Tomás and Luciano Salazar-Juárez are the dons of the largest local network trafficking and sexual exploiting Mexican girls and adolescents, who operated for over ten years in the agricultural camps and suburbs of San Diego. They used deception and coercion to recruit women and girls from native communities in Mexico to work as prostitutes in the San Diego area. The victims were normally moved by coyotes across the US Mexican border. Once in the US, the victims were kept in several houses throughout the San Diego county area. Many of the victims were moved to agricultural camps throughout the area to service workers at these locations.
Location
United States · Vista, CA · 2003 (location generalized to protect survivors)
Response & intervention
Tomas was imprisoned for domestic violence and is serving a 20 year sentence. Luciano was detained at the end December, 2002. So far, he has only been jailed for being undocumented, but according to prosecutor Tenorio and deputy Castro, authorities have successfully obtained evidence allowing Luciano to be charged with exploiting minors, thus unmasking the network.
At the end of 2001 the FBI began a formal investigation against the Salazar brothers, whom were also presumed to be involved in drug trafficking. In 2003, San Diego county Sherif’s department conducted raids on a number of houses controlled by the Salazar organization and freed several trafficked women and girls.
Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don't have a verifiable source on file yet — use “Report a problem” below to add one.