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According to Frias, dangerous international gangs like 18th Street and Tren de Aragua are tagging walls with graffiti to stake their turf, all while operating in plain sight of residents and authorities alike.
Fox News Digital recently visited the area shortly after Ocasio-Cortez hosted a town hall. What they found was jaw-dropping: nearly 30 women openly offering sex along a single block. Families with children were forced to walk past the brazen displays, as if this were just another night in the neighborhood.
The split in responsibility is glaring. On Meng’s side of the avenue, prostitutes dominate the sidewalks. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez’s section is flooded with illegal street vendors hawking fake Apple gear and selling street food under unsanitary, makeshift conditions. Food sits out in the open, often stored in unmarked containers beneath the elevated train tracks.
Despite the NYPD launching “Operation Restore Roosevelt,” a supposed crackdown meant to clean up the corridor, the problems remain deeply rooted.
Warmer weather brought exactly what residents had warned about: the full return of illegal activity. Even with 200 additional officers assigned to the operation, enforcement appears ineffective.
“There has been a notable difference,” NYPD Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry claimed. “Robberies are down 23%, felony assaults are down 33%, burglaries are down 47%, and grand larceny is down 30%.”
Still, those numbers don’t reflect what’s happening on the ground. Daughtry admitted that while 15 brothels were shut down and 30 court filings made, more keep popping up. Just days after AOC’s town hall, police raided a notorious “bodega brothel” operating above a corner store near two schools. Inside, officers discovered grimy, makeshift rooms separated by thin wood panels and plastic shower curtains—barely enough space for a single bed.
And the raids haven’t stopped. On Tuesday, police took down two more brothels on Meng’s side of Roosevelt Avenue. The block was the same one where Fox News had recently documented dozens of alleged prostitutes.
“Three to four other brothels are still operating on that same block,” Frias said. “People are scared to even leave their homes.”
Frias is now calling for stronger laws and new leadership. “Our laws need to become stricter, and it’s time to elect representatives who have the best interests of the community and its safety as a priority,” he urged.
He also had harsh words for Ocasio-Cortez, who he says has ignored the crisis in her own backyard. Despite her massive social media following and political clout, she has not lifted a finger to help.
Daughtry backed up that claim. “Never seen her,” he said of AOC. “She’s never reached out to us. We would really love her assistance to help us, but at the end of the day, we have to do what’s right and restore some law and order back to Roosevelt. I would like AOC to partner with us… use her platform to help us get funding or connect women to services.”
As Queens spirals deeper into lawlessness, residents are left wondering: how much longer will their cries be ignored? And how long can the city’s leadership continue to pretend this crisis doesn’t exist?
