In May, police busted a human trafficking ring that had smuggled hundreds of women from Bangkok, Thailand, to the U.S. The victims had been brought into multiple U.S. cities, including Washington, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Minneapolis from Jan. 2009 through May 2017.

The women were then forced into prostitution houses and were barred from interacting with the outside world. Many were desperately poor and were told they would receive a better life in the U.S., in exchange for a “bondage debt,” often $40,000 to $60,000. Professional photos were taken of them prior to leaving Thailand and were used by the traffickers to “advertise” the women on various websites. Often, members of the organization urged the victims to receive breast implants to attract sex buyers in the U.S.