Underground casinos proceed to be a serious problem for regulation enforcement in quite a few states throughout the nation. One of the newest raids by police got here Friday in San Jose, California, at an alleged unlawful playing venue that additionally included a brothel with an on-site drug supplier.
Authorities stated the enterprise operated in a business constructing positioned within the northern a part of town and officers arrested 5 suspects.
“During the search, officers located and seized 33 firearms (including assault weapons), 150,000 rounds of ammunition, 500 pounds of marijuana, and approximately $20,000 in cash,” the San Jose Police Department famous in a information launch.
Arrests Made, Women Offered Help
As a part of the raid, the division famous that a number of girls employed on the facility have been additionally supplied assist as a part of the regulation enforcement motion. The division didn’t notice that human trafficking was concerned with the case, however famous that “adult female survivors employed at the brothel were also located and provided resources, assistance, and information about their rights.”
The 5 suspects included Saolepea Liu, Nido Nguyen, Phuong Nguyen, Windie Pratt, and Anai Garcia. The suspects have been booked into the Santa Clara County jail for and face a number of felony expenses, based on police.
Law enforcement throughout the nation have cracked down on unlawful casinos in current months, together with busts in Florida, California, Ohio, Michigan, and different states.
In October, Bexar County sheriff’s deputies in San Antonio, Texas, raided an unlawful on line casino for the second time since 2021 as a part of an undercover sting operation. Agents seized $20,000 and arrested 4 males.
In California, authorities have stated that underground casinos are additionally a rising drawback. Officers notice that these playing homes are sometimes run by bigger prison organizations. For instance, a number of the unlawful playing rooms positioned round Los Angeles are believed to be run by members of the Mexican mafia.
“It’s hidden in plain sight,” Los Angeles County sheriff’s detective Richard Velasquez not too long ago advised the Los Angeles Times of that metropolis’s playing home operated by organized crime. “You don’t know that it’s there until you know that it’s there.”