There has been a major bust in a multi-state prostitution operation that stretched across southeast New Mexico.
The mother and son duo are now facing federal charges for the scheme that involved five different massage parlors in New Mexico and three more in Texas. Shaoping Wen and Xu Wang were arrested last week in southern New Mexico, nearly nine months after federal authorities were first tipped off. According to federal documents, an undercover agent entered a massage parlor in Lubbock, Texas in June of last year and paid an Asian woman for a massage.
He was eventually offered sex if he paid more. Documents say the agent left before anything happened. Documents also show there was a second undercover operation at another Lubbock massage parlor. During that operation, officers arrested a Chinese woman after she reportedly offered sex for more money. Wen reportedly bailed her out of a jail a few days later. All of those were reportedly operated by Wen. Investigators say all of the New Mexico locations were also listed on the websites offering sexual services.
Documents reveal many of the women needed translator apps to communicate. It appears Wen was behind the whole operation. The duo made their first court appearance in Las Cruces earlier this week, before they are extradited back to Lubbock. Mother-son duo accused of running prostitution ring.
