6 Houston-area massage establishments close for suspected human trafficking - Community Impact

[Jovanna Aguilar]

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation ordered an emergency six-month closure on six massage establishments in the Houston area for suspected human trafficking, according to a Feb. 27 news release.
In case you missed it

As previously reported by Community Impact, the first massage establishment closure was enforced last summer in the northwest Houston area after House Bill 3579 went into effect Sept. 1, 2023. A new business operating at the same address, Foo Foot Massage, was included in the most recent list of emergency closures.

HB 3579 enabled the TDLR to issue emergency orders halting the operation of any massage establishment where law enforcement or TDLR officials believe human trafficking is occurring.

The details

Per the release, Kelly Xu was ordered to stop operating the following six massage businesses effective Feb. 18, which prohibited Xu from operating a different massage establishment at the following locations for six months:

• Perfect Massage, 3531 S. Dairy Ashford Road, Ste. B, Houston
• Sun Spa, 9223 Airport Blvd., Ste. 300, Houston
• Foo Foot Massage, 10801 Spring Cypress Road, Ste. 12, Houston
• May Spa, 4027 FM 2920 E., Spring
• Yu Best Massage, 3331 Spring Cypress Road, Ste. A, Spring
• DD Massage, 2575 Eldridge Road, Sugar Land

The order came about after TDLR prosecutors concluded the establishments were being used as a front for illicit activity and engaging in human trafficking.
Learn more

Per the release, in August, TDLR received a complaint alleging there were indicators of human trafficking at Perfect Massage on South Dairy Ashford Road. TDLR inspectors found an ATM in the lobby, items often associated with commercial sexual activity, an unlicensed employee and the appearance of people living there.

Following the complaint, in February, TDLR officials began an online investigation into all six massage locations owned by Xu, finding several online advertisements and reviews on illicit websites.

This order was the 21st emergency order issued by TDLR since the law went into effect and the second emergency order that closed multiple locations owned by the same person, per the release.

Get involved

Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring can contact the National Hotline for Human Trafficking at 1-888-373-7888; text HELP or INFO to 233733; or file a complaint on a TDLR-regulated business that may be participating in human trafficking.