‘Market of sweethearts': Frustration grows over sex trafficking crisis in NYC district; AOC missing in action
'I have not personally seen Ocasio-Cortez since she's been elected. I have not seen her in the community,' these were the words of Rosa Sanchez, president of the Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition.
'I have seen her in a parade — that's it.'
Locals say they've been pleading for help as their community, the infamous 'Market of Sweethearts,' spirals into disorder. They claim the congresswoman, who represents a portion of the troubled corridor, has been missing in action.
Sanchez said the rise in unlicensed street vendors, some allegedly peddling stolen goods, has put law-abiding shopkeepers on the brink, while victims of sex trafficking are left to suffer without political support. 'You have young women held against their will. They're being sex trafficked. This is not normal,' she said.
'Our community is suffering,' she further told the New York Post.
Despite a recent NYPD operation, called "Operation Restore Roosevelt," many believe the efforts were only temporary.
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Though crime dipped 28% during the 90-day crackdown, residents say the relief didn't last. Within weeks of police scaling back, illegal vendors returned, and the familiar signs of lawlessness reappeared.
Mauricio Zamora, leader of the Neighbors of the American Triangle, told the New York Post that the AOC has 'never' taken meaningful action on the area's core issues.
After meeting with Ocasio-Cortez last Friday to discuss the crisis at Corona Plaza, Zamora claimed the congresswoman shifted the blame, saying that broader crime enforcement was the responsibility of the mayor, NYPD, and city officials.
That response has not satisfied many in the community, especially when other lawmakers are seen taking more proactive stances. Bronx representative Ritchie Torres, for instance, has openly called on Mayor Eric Adams to clean up The Hub, another hotspot plagued by open-air drug use and prostitution.
Many Queens residents say that they've simply never seen their representative.
'No, I have never seen AOC here. I've seen the local city councilman [Francisco Moya].
I've seen the police. I've never seen AOC,' said Jenny Leo, 54, a pharmacist on Roosevelt Avenue.
Leo said the situation isn't worsening, but neither is it improving.
David Ortega, manager at Bravo Supermarket, said, 'People are stealing meat and beer and laundry detergent. The police come and they take them outside,' he said. 'Two times recently the thieves tell me that they're going to wait for me when I leave. They're not afraid.
It is not changing. It is the same.'
He added, the AOC 'doesn't come here.'
Concerns over gang activity are also escalating. Residents say migrant gangs have exploited the area, emboldened by a strained city infrastructure. In response, local leaders previously appealed to federal authorities, urging the FBI and Homeland Security to step in.
Last month, federal officials announced charges against a migrant gang accused of running brothels, selling fake IDs and drugs, and assaulting rivals, all from a base of operations along Roosevelt Avenue.
Prosecutors say the gang funnelled money to an illicit network in El Salvador.
Former city councilman Hiram Monserrate, now an activist in East Elmhurst, believes more needs to be done, and quickly. 'We want our Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to use her platform to bring in more police officers to stabilize the area. We want our community back,' he said.
Monserrate credited the NYPD for the temporary drop in crime but warned that reduced enforcement has left the corridor exposed again.
He also called for the return of the 100 state troopers that Governor Kathy Hochul deployed last autumn to support the NYPD.
'We need them back,' he urged.
Ocasio-Cortez's team defended her record, saying the congresswoman is 'focused on solutions not credit.'
In a post on social media platform X, Ocasio-Cortez said, 'Happy to be back in Corona Plaza to continue our team's conversations with vendors and local business owners about our coordinated efforts to make Roosevelt Avenue a safer and cleaner place.'
Spokeswoman Karla Santillan cited Ocasio-Cortez's efforts to fix streetlights, clean up Corona Plaza, and improve sanitation, noting her participation in a community meeting last week.
'The congresswoman is focused on solutions not credit. She has done multiple cleanups of the plaza on the other side, and on the official side has worked with DOT to fix street lights and improve sanitation,' said Santillan.
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