Arlington police have shut down a sex trafficking ring and arrested four men after more than 900 hours of investigative work, police announced at a Wednesday news conference.
Two club managers at strip club Chicas Locas, near the interchange of Interstate 30 and State Highway 360, were arrested and charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution.
Tarrant County court records indicate Oziel Ramos, 25, and 40-year-old Ariel Tapia have been released on $50,000 bond and $75,000 bond, respectively. The records did not list attorneys representing the men.
Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said during the news conference that more charges are coming.
Detectives began the investigation into Chicas Locas in August, dubbing it Operation Safe Stage, after tips that employees were performing sex acts for money, according to police. That money was paid to the club’s managers, not the employees performing the sex acts.
Sgt. Tarik Muslimovic with the department’s human exploitation and trafficking unit, said the investigation involved undercover detectives and agents who gathered enough evidence to obtain a search warrant and multiple arrest warrants.
KERA News has filed open records requests for those warrants.
“This is a very well-organized criminal enterprise,” Muslimovic said. “Not going into very specifics on what mechanisms they used to control the women, but they’re effective at doing that.”
During the search of the club, police found around $13,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia.
Jones said at the news conference that multiple victims of the sex trafficking ring have been connected with resources including Rescue Hill and Rescue Her.
“Human trafficking is one of the true evils of our society,” Jones said. “It has no place in our communities, and we want to assure our residents, visitors, stakeholders that we're doing something about it.”
Two other men were arrested during the operation. Oscar Escobar was taken into custody for multiple outstanding warrants related to misdemeanors. The other man, 50-year-old Alejandro Hernandez, was arrested for unlawful carrying of a weapon and multiple drug charges.
The charges do not yet show up in Tarrant County court records and Tarrant County Jail records do not show the men currently in custody.
In addition to charges against Ramos and Tapia, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Lt. Wes Boyer said the TABC is conducting its own investigation and could assess fines or terminate Chicas Locas’ licenses to serve alcohol.
A concern for the World Cup
Local police have been working with each other, federal agencies and FIFA in preparation to counter potential human trafficking at the 2026 World Cup, which will see Arlington host nine matches at AT&T Stadium.
FIFA and the Arlington City Council have both emphasized on multiple occasions that preventing or stopping human trafficking and human rights violations around the world’s largest sporting tournament are top priorities.
“We have robust planning already started around the World Cup to ensure it's safe for our community, ensure we have the resources to tackle big operations like that,” Muslimovic said at the news conference. “There will be engagements like this and in different capacities as well, so we're ready to ensure a safe entertainment space for those visiting the city.”
Jones told reporters Arlington is already well-equipped to investigate and shut down human trafficking organizations.
Operation Safe Stage isn’t the first such investigation the department has run, but he said it’s still something they’re learning from to better prepare for the World Cup.
“We’re going to be able to do what we do very well, and I think this is the first step of learning,” Jones said.“We are ahead of the game and I think that this right here just shows how dedicated we are to saving our victims and making sure that we can get them the help that they need and so they can change their life.”
Got a tip? Email James Hartley at jhartley@kera.org or follow James on X @ByJamesHartley.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
