27-05-2025
Midland, Odessa massage parlors among 8 closed amid human trafficking investigation
AUSTIN (KMID/KPEJ)- The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has issued a six-month emergency closure order effective May 19, 2025, for eight massage establishments for suspected human trafficking in six cities.
A TDLR investigation revealed a range of violations at the various locations, including employees living at some of the businesses, a lack of required client consultation documents, and illicit advertisements connected to the establishments that offered sexual services. Furthermore, several employees identified themselves with out of state identification, admitted to being at the establishment for temporary work, and admitted to providing massage services but did not have a massage therapist license to perform these services in Texas.
TDLR Investigators determined that all eight massage establishments are owned by three people: Ruiying Lian, Hongcui Hao, and Tianli Wang, who are connected through business entities Tongfuxin LLC and Tongfu LLC. The three people and the business entities were ordered to halt operations at the establishments and are prohibited from operating different massage establishments at the locations.
The establishments are:
Sunny Massage, 2814 W. Wall St., Midland, Texas
Julie's Massage, 1106 Spell Ave., Cleburne, Texas
Tongfuxin LLC d/b/a A Pattaya Massage, 725 Hill Country Dr., Kerrville, Texas
Pattaya Foot Reflexology, 1359 W. University Blvd., Ste. C, Odessa, Texas
Thai Massage, 2803 Andrews Hwy., Odessa, Texas
Family Reflexology, 5807 S.W. 45th Ave., Ste. 345, Amarillo, Texas
Best Foot Spa, 7412 S. University Ave., Ste. 2, Lubbock, Texas
Family Reflexology, 2605 Wolfin Ave, Amarillo, Texas
TDLR said it found activities consistent with human trafficking at each of the eight establishments.
In April 2025, during TDLR's joint inspection of Sunny Massage in Midland, with the Midland Police Department and Midland City Code Enforcement Division, a customer admitted to authorities that he paid for sexual services from an employee. Sunny Massage is in a building that also houses a daycare center and the daycare owner told authorities that an employee of Sunny Massage tried to enter the daycare through the ceiling crawl space while police searched the massage establishment. Police later found that the employee was not licensed as a massage therapist and she was arrested for prostitution. A review of police records revealed that another employee at Sunny Massage was arrested for prostitution in 2022.
HB 3579, passed in the 88th Legislature Regular Session, went into effect Sept. 1, 2023. Under the legislation proposed by State Representative Benjamin Bumgarner and State Senator Phil King, TDLR's executive director can issue an emergency order halting the operation of any massage establishment if law enforcement or TDLR find evidence or indicators that human trafficking is occurring at the establishment.
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring can contact the National Hotline for Human Trafficking at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733). If the situation is an emergency or you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911 and alert the authorities.
You can also file a complaint on a TDLR-regulated business that you suspect may be participating in human trafficking.
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