51 victims of forced sex labor rescued in Mexico City

Thanks to an anonymous tip, Mexico City's Attorney General rescued 51 female victims of human trafficking and forced sex labor at La Tirada and By Latino, two bars in Mexico City's Cuauhtémoc municipality. According to the victims, they were hired as waitresses and erotic dancers, but were then forced into prostitution.

Francisco Javier Soto González, one of the men arrested as part of the sting operation, is the alleged owner of two of the places raided by police officers. As a result and in accordance with Mexican law, both of these properties will be seized and confiscated from the owner.

Also arrested were Gerardo Pánfilo Guerrero Hernández, administrator; Rubén López Hernández, head waiter; Germán Bolaños Carrera, manager; Juan Carlos Rodríguez García, manager; José de Jesús Echeverría Leal, security guard, and; Hugo César Cubillos Bravo, waiter and responsible for charging private lap dances.

According to the police report, the victims were hired as erotic dancers, but were then forced to take off all of their clothes and sell as many alcoholic beverages to customers as possible.

If customers ordered three drinks in a row, they were allowed to have sex with the women in one of the many private rooms found at both bars.

Also, if the women were hired for sex services outside of the establishment at nearby hotels, the bar's management would negotiate the price with the customers and charge them directly at the bar.

At both establishments, investigators found used condoms, which resulted in the corresponding criminal investigation being launched.