The NYPD is investigating if the violent Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, is trafficking women in the infamous Roosevelt Avenue area of Queens, New York. Despite a recent law enforcement operation targeting sex trafficking, dozens of women openly solicited along the “Market of Sweethearts,” even with police patrolling the area.
Suspected gang members, identified by their Chicago Bulls clothing—often the gang’s colors—were seen monitoring the women, raising further concerns about the gang’s presence. NYPD officials, including Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, confirmed spotting Tren de Aragua members in social media videos, closely associated with women working along Roosevelt Avenue. “They had the hat on – the 23 Bulls hat,” said Daughtry, identifying the attire as a gang marker.
The Coalition Against Sex Trafficking’s Taina Bien-Aime shared that gangs actively recruit vulnerable women from city shelters, with traffickers reportedly enforcing daily quotas, punishing those who fail to meet them. Advocates urge police to focus on arresting sex buyers rather than just sex workers to reduce demand in the area.
The influx of migrant women has also led to a rise in the number of pimps and exploiters targeting the Roosevelt Avenue area, according to a veteran vice-squad detective. The retired officer remarked that policies during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s term have only worsened the problem, making the strip “out of control.”