Battling brothels a never-ending fight

On the same day a Chinese man was sentenced to federal prison for running a string of Twin Cities brothels, ads on area websites enticed customers with "Sexy Czech Beauty," "Drop Dead Gorgeous Puerto Rican Playmate" and "Unforgettable Oriental Relaxing Massage."

Such is the battle against human trafficking and importing illegal immigrants for the purpose of prostitution, officials said. There is no shortage of would-be suppliers for what seems to be an insatiable demand.

"You shut one down and another opens up,'' said Sgt. Grant Snyder, a lead investigator in the case. "It's frustrating to the extent that you work as fast as you can work."'

Liqing Liu, who pleaded guilty to running brothels staffed with Asian women he brought here from other countries and other parts of the United States, was immediately taken into federal custody Friday afternoon.

His year-and-a-day sentence will be reduced by jail time already served. But he also faces probable deportation, said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Minnesota. ICE and the Minneapolis police worked together on the case.

"He neglected to mention that he was importing prostitutes into this country," Arnold said of Liu's now-tenuous status as a legal resident.

Arnold said that it can be frustrating to see other new operations fill the void left by operators like Liu, who employed more than 100 Asian women brought into the United States illegally. Federal and Minneapolis officials say Liu at one time made $70,000 a month from the brothels. They also believe Liu's wife took much of that money out of the country with her just before Liu was arrested.

More investigations ongoing

But, Arnold said, investigators count this as a victory.

"We dismantled an organization. This conviction goes a long way to making an impact," Arnold said. "We have several other active investigations going right now and are planning additional investigations."

Snyder and Sgt. Matt Wente, the other lead Minneapolis investigator in the Liu case, are working on at least six other human-trafficking cases. One of the difficulties in going after this type of crime is meeting federal requirements to prosecute human trafficking, Snyder said.

Investigators must prove the traffickers used fraud, force or coercion to get the women into prostitution, he said. State law does not require that. He said some politicians are trying to change the federal law.

"A significant amount of stuff looks, feels and smells like human trafficking, but it can't be prosecuted,'' Snyder said. "Liu got a low-level sentence, but it doesn't reflect the reality of trafficking.''

The way to investigate these trafficking rings is through an informant or working undercover, he said. The problem with going undercover is that these rings are run professionally and customers are scrutinized.

"They want to see credit cards and get other information,'' he said.

Even with Liu's light sentence, Snyder said they were successful at shutting him down and seizing property and money.

One of Liu's brothels operated in a strip mall on E. Lake St. The storefront is closed now and Liu unofficially stepped down as a partner in that operation just before it was raided, Snyder said. But another massage place, run by a person involved in Liu's operation, has opened in the same strip mall, Snyder said. While he said there is no indication of illegal activity, officials plan to keep an eye on the business.

Lt. Andrew Smith, head of the Minneapolis police Violent Offender Task Force, said that Snyder and Wente "lead the way" in the state in investigating human trafficking and that much of what they do goes beyond law enforcement. Smith said they truly have a lot of compassion for the victims of trafficking.

"They are saving lives and making lives better,'' he said.

Minnesota is trafficking hub

Minnesota has become a center for trafficking, experts say, in part because this area's large immigrant population creates a demand for prostitutes of the same ethnicity.

By 4 p.m. Friday, just two hours after Liu was led from the courtroom in handcuffs, there were 16 ads posted on Craigslist under therapeutic services that either touted using Asian therapists or featured photographs of Asian women.

Some won't be dissuaded

Linda Miller, executive director of Civil Society, a St. Paul-based group that works with trafficking victims, said her center runs 15 clinics in Minnesota and has helped 75 victims in less than three years. Some of them, she said, were forced to work for places that advertised massage services on websites.

While Miller said she believes cases like Liu's will deter some from engaging in trafficking and the sex trade, others likely won't be dissuaded.

"There are going to be criminals as long as there is money," she said.

Smith said many may not believe human trafficking is a big issue because they think the victims chose to be prostitutes.

"When the courts and legislators and the public see how horrific these crimes can be, sentences will get better,'' he said.

He added: "If the customers of these women had any idea how bad their lives were, most wouldn't engage in it."

jwalsh@startribune.com • 612-673-7428 dchanen@startribune.com • 612-673-4465