Norristown brothels part of a global network

Montgomery County authorities have arrested five Mexican nationals as part of an international drug and prostitution ring. They say the operation was part of larger network across the country where women could not leave the brothels.
Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman says the women were kept in disturbing conditions.

Montgomery County authorities have arrested five Mexican nationals as part of an international drug and prostitution ring.  They say the operation was part of larger network across the country where women could not leave the brothels.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman says the women were kept in disturbing conditions.

Risa: They had make-shift dressing rooms and they were behind a partition performing all of these services. There was no privacy that anyone had, no freedom that anyone had. It frankly is the kind of thing that you would see in the movies but far from the reality that any of us had seen before.

Ferman says the investigation began when members of Norristown’s Latino community tipped off police. The two brothels were right across the street from an elementary school and served Mexican men.

Ferman says the operation in Norristown is part of a larger prostitution network where women are lured to the United States with promises of a better life only to be threatened with violence if they try to leave.