News and Media Reports

[Squatty2]

As most of you know, the majority of therapists who work at CAMPs in the region come from Flushing, a neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York. There seems to be an endless fountain of women coming out of this neighborhood and flooding the DMV. Today's Washington Post (July 30), front page, gives us a clue as to the source of this fountain: migrants driven from China due to economic conditions there, smuggled across the border near San Diego, CA, and making their way to Flushing. Maybe clients on this forum who are fluent in Chinese can fill us in on the details. If you go to Google maps for Flushing, it looks like a horrible place. I've never been there.

The US Open is played in Flushing every year. It's not all bad. And it's right by LaGuardia.

[DMan46]

As most of you know, the majority of therapists who work at CAMPs in the region come from Flushing, a neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York. There seems to be an endless fountain of women coming out of this neighborhood and flooding the DMV. Today's Washington Post (July 30), front page, gives us a clue as to the source of this fountain: migrants driven from China due to economic conditions there, smuggled across the border near San Diego, CA, and making their way to Flushing. Maybe clients on this forum who are fluent in Chinese can fill us in on the details. If you go to Google maps for Flushing, it looks like a horrible place. I've never been there.

Interesting info. I wouldn't say flushing is a horrible place. It's a relatively large and diverse area which certainly has some seedy parts. But it's also a mixture of K-town, C-town, and a large central American population with some amazing restaurants and international malls to explore. It's one of my favorite parts of NYC and not just because of all the K-AMPs. I would recommend you check it out and go hungry. Seriously, there are some fantastic food options there.

[DogBert25]

As most of you know, the majority of therapists who work at CAMPs in the region come from Flushing, a neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York. There seems to be an endless fountain of women coming out of this neighborhood and flooding the DMV. Today's Washington Post (July 30), front page, gives us a clue as to the source of this fountain: migrants driven from China due to economic conditions there, smuggled across the border near San Diego, CA, and making their way to Flushing. Maybe clients on this forum who are fluent in Chinese can fill us in on the details. If you go to Google maps for Flushing, it looks like a horrible place. I've never been there.

[JmSuttr]

https://wfin.com/fox-national-news/massachusetts-grand-jury-indicts-alleged-operators-of-high-end-brothel-network-in-greater-boston-virginia/

The three Mass based defendants in the BEG arrests were in court again this week and defense layers said they are planning Plea Agreements. Plea agreements usually include cooperating with the prosecution but as yet no monger information has been released.

Still if I a was customer that had a security clearance or other USG affiliation I still don't think I could sleep at night. The next court date was set for July 15.

Not sure why your link didn't render as a clickable hyperlink, but here's one that should work.

https://wfin.com/fox-national-news/m...ston-virginia/

It'll be interesting to see what the plea deals look like. While these three are under federal indictment, there hasn't been a whisper of any client looking at any kind of federal charge. Right now any local charges are on hold while the MA Supreme Court considers arguments about whether the preliminary "show cause" hearings will be private or public. Also, for any client with a clearance or USG-affiliated job, they're already (probably) screwed. LE already has their info and there won't be much these defendants will be able to add. If DOJ has made any decision about handing info over to OPM (or other agencies) there's nothing that will stop that from happening.

[FakeName3]

https://wfin.com/fox-national-news/massachusetts-grand-jury-indicts-alleged-operators-of-high-end-brothel-network-in-greater-boston-virginia/

The three Mass based defendants in the BEG arrests were in court again this week and defense layers said they are planning Plea Agreements. Plea agreements usually include cooperating with the prosecution but as yet no monger information has been released.

Still if I a was customer that had a security clearance or other USG affiliation I still don't think I could sleep at night. The next court date was set for July 15.

[JmSuttr]

Checking to see if a provider has a twitter presence is something I already do. There aren't nearly as many anonymous or one-off ads out there, but tons of providers cultivate followings and build their brand on twitter already. They also advertise where they're going next (or that they're already there). Honestly, it's a lot better vetting of whether or not a provider is working for themselves or whatever. You can see a lot by looking at how they post. And they almost all link to a tryst ad or a personal website or a link list so you can get the appropriate details.

Some providers have had Twitter accounts for a long time, and then there was also Switter (now defunct). But both of those essentially consisted of individual accounts and never amounted to a true advertising platform.

The scenario you describe, for example, requires you to affirmatively search for the provider in whom you're interested. So you had to know about her before you even went to Twitter. And then, as you mentioned, the Twitter account might have a link to a separate ad site. So, for that scenario, Twitter is an additional piece of info, nice to have but not essential, and it doesn't replace the ad site for either the provider or the client.

What I'm wondering is if the new Twitter policy might be conducive, and permissive enough, to allow for directories where you can find providers by area without having any info beforehand. Remember how Backpage worked in its heyday, it took only a few minutes to scan for all the pussy that was currently available in the DMV. And it was easy to do a keyword search to narrow your options. It was always easy to find brand new providers that you'd never heard of before.

Conceptually, I think the potential is there for Twitter to become much more of a primary resource for clients and providers (via hashtag searches and other features). But whether that will actually happen remains to be seen.

[LilHead]

Checking to see if a provider has a twitter presence is something I already do. There aren't nearly as many anonymous or one-off ads out there, but tons of providers cultivate followings and build their brand on twitter already. They also advertise where they're going next (or that they're already there). Honestly, it's a lot better vetting of whether or not a provider is working for themselves or whatever. You can see a lot by looking at how they post. And they almost all link to a tryst ad or a personal website or a link list so you can get the appropriate details.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/3/24...-policy-update

Full disclosure: I'm not a Twitter user, so I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of that platform. But this news story got me to thinking that, if porn and other NSFW content is allowed, why not provider ads? And, while accounts that clearly advertise "$ for sex" will undoubtedly be blocked or banned, it doesn't take much imagination to think of ads that come close to the line (massage, cuddling, etc. "wink, wink") without crossing it.

Again, I'm not a user so I don't know if "burner" Twitter accounts are possible but, if they are, that would be one way for providers and clients to preserve their anonymity. A provider could post her pics, contact info, and go from there. One huge plus for providers would be lower advertising costs and maximum control over their ad (content, frequency, etc).

[JmSuttr]

https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/3/24...-policy-update

Full disclosure: I'm not a Twitter user, so I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of that platform. But this news story got me to thinking that, if porn and other NSFW content is allowed, why not provider ads? And, while accounts that clearly advertise "$ for sex" will undoubtedly be blocked or banned, it doesn't take much imagination to think of ads that come close to the line (massage, cuddling, etc. "wink, wink") without crossing it.

Again, I'm not a user so I don't know if "burner" Twitter accounts are possible but, if they are, that would be one way for providers and clients to preserve their anonymity. A provider could post her pics, contact info, and go from there. One huge plus for providers would be lower advertising costs and maximum control over their ad (content, frequency, etc).

Lots of open questions, of course, but the point of this post is to throw it out there for discussion. It might not reach the level of (back in the day) Backpage or Craigslist, but I think savvy users would soon figure out how to compile and publish area-specific account lists, on or off Twitter, that could work as an effective advertising outlet.

Any thoughts, pro or con, from all the Twitter users (and non-Twitter users) out there?

[JmSuttr]

Thanks! It worked for me.

To the monger who asked if any ads for the busted operation are up, I'd advise against contacting them even if they're still advertising. This is still an active case and you would do well to avoid being on the 6 o'clock news or in the paper for all the wrong reasons. For if the ad is still up, I wouldn't be surprised if our least favorite uncle is answering the calls.

It would be standard procedure for LE to harvest whatever monger info the handlers saved, on devices or hardcopy. It would be unusual for LE to keep the ads up and answer calls, although it certainly is possible. Either way, any monger who is aware of the bust would be stupid to attempt contact.

Here in Virginia, LE doesn't seem very driven to go after mongers in this kind of scenario. My reason for coming to that conclusion is that the recent bust of Korean agencies, while it caused a big outcry in Boston to go after clients, has not caused the same reaction here. Still, at this point there's no way to know exactly which local Venezuelan providers were part of this outfit. So it would be smart, for anyone who has visited one recently, to review what personal info (if any) might have been shared.

[Tom McAn]

This one is working (at the time of this posting):

https://www.wafb.com/2024/05/25/nati...fficking-case/

Thanks! It worked for me.

To the monger who asked if any ads for the busted operation are up, I'd advise against contacting them even if they're still advertising. This is still an active case and you would do well to avoid being on the 6 o'clock news or in the paper for all the wrong reasons. For if the ad is still up, I wouldn't be surprised if our least favorite uncle is answering the calls.

[JmSuttr]

BTW where can I find out the ads of these fresh Venezuelan providers?

I would imagine the ads specific to the busted operation are no longer up.

[PinkDuds]

https://www.wafb.com/2024/05/25/nati...fficking-case/

It looks like he had extra stuff at the end / QUOTE / It might have been from when he copied it from another source the link I just shared should be working.

BTW where can I find out the ads of these fresh Venezuelan providers?

[JmSuttr]

FYI, the link you provided to the news report no longer works. Clicking on it results in a 404 message.

I fully agree with your call to protect PII. If a provider or agency wants that info, thank them and move on. I also agree with you about any thugs involved in actual human trafficking.

I don't know how far back this investigation goes, but it's been years since I've seen any Venezuelan providers and that burner phone has long since bit the dust. Still, this reminds us all to be careful.

This one is working (at the time of this posting):

https://www.wafb.com/2024/05/25/nati...fficking-case/

[JasonBorne83]

FYI, the link you provided to the news report no longer works. Clicking on it results in a 404 message.

I fully agree with your call to protect PII. If a provider or agency wants that info, thank them and move on. I also agree with you about any thugs involved in actual human trafficking.

I don't know how far back this investigation goes, but it's been years since I've seen any Venezuelan providers and that burner phone has long since bit the dust. Still, this reminds us all to be careful.

https://www.wafb.com/2024/05/25/nati...fficking-case/

It looks like he had extra stuff at the end / QUOTE / It might have been from when he copied it from another source the link I just shared should be working.

[Tom McAn]

https://www.wafb.com/2024/05/25/nati...ing-case/QUOTE

The initial arrests were made in Baton Rouge but the operation, allegedly run by a gang called "Tren de Aragua," also has locations in Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and Virginia. For some reason the story doesn't list NJ, but it's clearly seen on the map in the video (timestamp: 1 min 55 sec).

The operation doesn't sound as sophisticated as the Korean agencies that were recently busted but, as is the case with any federal "trafficking" investigation, it certainly has the potential to expand.

FWIW, absolutely no mention about going after the dreaded "buyers of sex," although that's no guarantee it won't happen. As always, think with the big head and always protect your personal info. Whether with Venezolanas, or other providers, complacency is what can cause the proverbial sh*t to hit the fan!

As info: The original arrest involved a guy named Machado, but it's expanded to include at least one additional man (Zambrano-Chirinos) and woman (Chourio-Diaz). I haven't been able to find a publicly available press release or complaint (I searched USAO, HSI, and local Baton Rouge LE), but I did find this paywalled link with case header info. I also found a court scheduling note that Machado will have his initial appearance on May 30th.

https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/...Chirinos_et_alFrom.

P.S. From the info in the media report, it certainly appears that at least some of the women may truly have been trafficked. That's IF, and ONLY IF the reports are true about inducing fear by threatening harm to the families, etc. If those reports are true, then I hope they throw the thugs responsible in jail and lose the key.

FYI, the link you provided to the news report no longer works. Clicking on it results in a 404 message.

I fully agree with your call to protect PII. If a provider or agency wants that info, thank them and move on. I also agree with you about any thugs involved in actual human trafficking.

I don't know how far back this investigation goes, but it's been years since I've seen any Venezuelan providers and that burner phone has long since bit the dust. Still, this reminds us all to be careful.