08-04-2025
‘It has become a gangland': Officials call for federal aid on Roosevelt Avenue
JACKSON HEIGHTS, Queens (PIX11) — Although illegal brothels and suspected drug sales have attracted significant law enforcement attention to Roosevelt Avenue, local officials and community groups are requesting additional support.
On Tuesday, the Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to take action as a result of the 'ever-worsening situation.'
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The coalition alleges that the 18th Street 'Sureños', a gang affiliated with the Mexican mafia, has been providing drugs to members of El Tren de Aragua, who have been selling the drugs on the streets.
The coalition also alleges that the gang might be the source of fraudulent green cards and social security cards, stolen goods, and guns.
The letter to the FBI and the DEA reads in part: 'The NYPD's Operation Restore Roosevelt did lead to arrests, but our street sources say the gangs replaced their foot soldiers within days. This isn't just a Queens problem. It's a blueprint for how gangs, cartels, and traffickers can take over a community in plain sight, and those in the know see it as it really is, a well-oiled criminal machine using Roosevelt Avenue as its marketplace. Roosevelt Avenue doesn't just have a gang problem. It has become a gangland.'
For years, the areas of Jackson Heights have also had an influx of human trafficking and prostitution concerns. Complaints about Roosevelt Avenue's brothels and outdoor solicitations have only increased, causing the NYPD to raid storefronts allegedly being used as brothels.
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More recently, former Councilman Hiram Monserrate and the Restore Roosevelt Avenue coalition highlighted a bar that allegedly operates a brothel in its basement.
'Why are street walkers still on 82nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights? Why is the Bodega Brothel still operating on 99th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Corona? Why does this rowdy bar even have a license to operate next to a church? Message to the City and State. Mission Incomplete on Roosevelt Avenue,' said Monserrate.
Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.
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