Five in LV charged in smuggling of women

Jace Radke

Monday, Sept. 11, 2000 | 11:44 a.m.

Five Las Vegans were to appear before a federal judge today in connection with an alleged nationwide prostitution smuggling operation that has been under investigation for more than two years.

On Friday FBI and Immigration and Naturalization Service agents along with Metro Police arrested the five, who are named in a Sept. 5 federal grand jury indictment alleging involvement in a prostitution ring that smuggled Asian women into the United States.

Yuk Ching Liu, 51, Dat Ming Leung, 40, Dan Chau, 25, and two others who have yet to be fully identified were expected to make their first appearances in court today after being indicted on charges of conspiracy to violate federal criminal statutes.

The charges include smuggling of illegal aliens, interstate and foreign movement of women for prostitution and money laundering.

Thirteen search warrants were executed in Las Vegas shortly after the arrests, while related search warrants were served in New York, Los Angeles and Minneapolis as part of the investigation known as "Operation Jade Blade," FBI spokesman Joseph Dickey said.

The indictment alleges that the defendants would bring Asian women illegally into the United States for a fee that was expected to be paid through prostitution, and the women were circulated through a system of illegal brothels across the country.