Local community leaders in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s New York City district are once again urging FBI Director Kash Patel to take decisive action against what they describe as a “festering scourge” of violent foreign gangs operating in Queens. According to residents, these groups are forcing women into prostitution and running drug operations in the area.
In recent weeks, members of the Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition have organized rallies outside establishments they claim are notorious brothels in the district. Protesters say women solicit sex on the sidewalks while clients enter the buildings. The brothels are concentrated near Roosevelt Avenue, an area long plagued by crime, violence, and prostitution. Despite multiple NYPD crackdowns over the years, the corridor remains a well-known “red-light district.”
Police reports indicate that authorities have detained around 350 individuals this year for prostitution-related offenses in and around the troubled strip. Some brothels operate under the guise of legitimate businesses, such as a bodega or a massage parlor. During a recent Sunday protest, activists posted “Shut it down” signs on the doors of one such establishment, calling on federal authorities to eliminate the illicit operations.
In a letter to Director Patel, the coalition wrote, “We are requesting an investigation and enforcement action regarding the ever-worsening situation on the Roosevelt Avenue Corridor.” The group’s mission is to improve public safety and ensure safer streets in the predominantly immigrant neighborhood.
