The border is quiet, but sex traffickers are thriving — And one group is fighting to stop them

DALLAS, Texas – In a quiet diner at 11 a.m., the lead investigator of the Shepherd’s Watch Foundation (SWF), who goes by Lisa for anonymity, sits alone at a table waiting to brief the Daily Caller News Foundation on the locations she plans to take stake out.

Speaking in a low voice and glancing over her shoulder, she gives a rundown of how SWF — a nonprofit organization targeting sex trafficking — has been tracking down sex trafficking rings in Texas. Founded in 2020 by private investigators and victim advocates, Lisa told the DCNF the group collects intel on sex rings across the state, which have grown increasingly common in recent years.

“This is the deadly part of the underbelly. It’s the beast. It’s the stuff that people don’t talk about,” Lisa said.

The SWF team gathers data from sex ads on the dark web, flagging hotspots when multiple ads point to a single location. Lisa then scopes out the sites, collecting photos and any details of what goes on at the sites to hand over to law enforcement, who make arrests if the evidence holds.

“The men and women that we work with are amazing. They’re the best of law enforcement officers. They’re very, very bright. They’re very analytical, they have great discernment. I love working with them,” Lisa said in response to handing over her intel and communicating with law enforcement and other officials.

Since November 2024, the foundation has handed over 36 operations to law enforcement, including assisting in roughly 10 investigations since January, according to SWF. Lisa told the DCNF that not only have all of the group’s cases been picked up and investigated by officials, but they’ve also led to arrests across Texas — including in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Collin County.

The DCNF first contacted SWF while investigating the more than 300,000 missing migrant children under the Biden-Harris administration. Whistleblowers and experts have warned that many of these children may have been trafficked into the U.S., yet updates on their whereabouts remain scarce since reports first surfaced last year.

“I think our typical [age] range in the rings is probably 14, 15. We know there’s 12- and 13-year-olds. It used to be that you’d see the minors on the sites. Occasionally we still do,” Lisa said. “When you go out and look at the sites, we have tools that tell us whether or not it’s a scam or fake ad.”

With an estimated 10 million illegal migrant encounters during the Biden-Harris administration — many along the Texas border — SWF told the DCNF they haven’t yet seen an impact from Trump’s recent immigration crackdown.

According to the Texas Attorney General’s office, the state saw 1.6 million online commercial sex ads in 2020, with 223,910 believed to have involved children. In 2023, SWF tracked around 1,300 ads a day in Dallas, which rose to 1,400, then 1,500 by 2024, and as of Tuesday morning, has surpassed 1,700 daily ads.

“Well, for us, it didn’t calm down at all. Unfortunately. It’s just a never-ending cycle of clients,” Lisa said. “The demand being there is not going to help. I don’t think people realize how many people have sex addictions and how few even serve time.”

“The numbers just didn’t go down. You know what I mean? We thought maybe we’d see a decline in ads. It stayed steady. I don’t know — talk to me again in six months to see if it’s dwindled,” Lisa added.

DAY 1: Be Wary Of The Motels 

Navigating traffic in Lisa’s truck, we arrive at the first location, guided by a fellow intel contractor named Jack — a run-down motel just outside the city. Lisa vents about how often the chain pops up in her investigations, warning we may never look at it the same way.

At the location, Lisa circles the lot, scanning rooms while on the phone with Jack, whose name is being withheld due to safety precautious as investigations are ongoing. A security guard patrols the perimeter, but Lisa warns he may be on the traffickers’ payroll. Lisa parks the car outside the main lot of the hotel, where the ads Jack traced point to an interior room.

Prices for the girls typically vary depending on the ad. However, Jack notes that the girls at this location are on “the lower end of pricing.” The ad, which began running six days earlier, claims there are five girls in the room, all allegedly 23 years old, Jack says.

“They’re $100 for 15 minutes,” Jack said. “$150 for 30 [minutes], and they do offer … three girls for $200 for 30 minutes. Even if you wanted two girls. They’re going to charge you $200 for 30 minutes, they said.”

Girls of all races are part of the rings, but Lisa notes an increase in Central and South American girls, as well as Cubans being trafficked from Florida.

After a few minutes, the guard seems to be watching Lisa’s car while on a “smoke break.” She describes the layout to Jack, noting the room’s position is ideal for traffickers but dangerous for her — no clean escape route. Women are typically placed in top-floor rooms, while handlers stay on the bottom floor.

“[The handlers are] on the first floor so they can escape,” Jack tells the DCNF.

Lisa gathers photos of the security guard, the perimeter of the hotel and the location of the room number listed in the ads — sending everything over to law enforcement later on.

With Lisa concerned about safety and no movement in or out of the rooms, we head to a second location, about 15 minutes away — a small hotel. Lisa’s been here before.

Pulling into the lot next to the front lobby, Lisa parks behind a small tree to provide some cover. Almost instantly, a man in his late 20s or early 30s wearing a checkered button-down becomes visible, standing outside and watching the entrance.

“So, over here, at this hotel — okay, see this guy on the corner? That’s a spotter. There’s another spotter,” Lisa says, pointing to another man on the outer right corner.

“This is what they do all day … Spotters come and go. They’re not going to like us being here, so just be ready for that,” she adds.

Lisa directs us on when to take photos and video, warning that the open motel windows likely conceal women — and weapons.

“There’s no reason for those windows to be open,” Lisa said, noting the temperature outside was mildly cool with a slight breeze. “There’s A/C and heating. Always assume someone inside is armed. They’re positioned to see the whole parking lot and all three entrances.”

WATCH:

SWF sent images and video of the two suspected spotters, along with ads indicating a sex ring was suspected to be operating at the hotel, to law enforcement for a background check. The DCNF shared some of its photos and videos with SWF, which were later forwarded to law enforcement.

On day two, Lisa told the DCNF that law enforcement relayed that the men were not in the U.S. system or Border Patrol records, suggesting they may have illegally crossed into the country. The site is now under law enforcement investigation.

“It’s big,” Lisa hinted.

DAY 2: Sneaking Out On Lunch Breaks

Lisa picks us up from another diner mid-afternoon, saying today’s focus is on massage parlors suspected of trafficking. She explains the late start — most “customers” sneak out on lunch breaks.

“The most active time is between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Not just for massage parlors, but apartments, motels, hotels,” Lisa says. “There’s also a safety factor. If you’re a customer, you don’t want to get jumped.”

“Some of these ads are fake. It’s about exploitation,” she continues. “If you’re walking in with $200, $300 cash, you’re worried about getting robbed — so some guys wait until late at night.”

All the suspected massage parlors look nearly identical and are within ten minutes of each other. Along with flagged ads, Lisa points out common red flags: padlocked doors, excessive security cameras, peep holes on the door between the  lobby and back rooms — and no gift cards.

The gift card question, Lisa says, is a way to test legitimacy. Most normal businesses offer them — sex parlors often don’t. At each stop, Lisa walks in asking for gift cards while taking photos and video for law enforcement.

“When we walk in, we’re looking for anyone in distress,” Lisa says. “Does anyone look held against their will, victimized? I’m looking for minors, hands down. Any first-glance signs I can report.”

At one stop, we sit in the car as men trickle in and out every 10–15 minutes. Before we enter, a man in medical scrubs — likely a doctor — walks out, glancing around before getting into his BMW and driving off.

“How do you solve this?” Lisa asks. “It has to be a multi-pronged approach. It’s not just law enforcement. What about the licensing board that grants them the right to operate?”

“Let’s talk about the EDC, the economic development board that decides what businesses go in where. What about the retail property manager? Why aren’t all these entities involved?” she says. “I want to empower them — we can make a difference.”

One of our final stops is an alleged massage business tucked between a dentistry and a Montessori school. It’s not the first time Lisa has seen a sex business this close to kids.

“I’m so over this,” Lisa said in response to seeing the proximity of the massage parlor to the school.

As we leave, we pass an empty playground, watching a mother walk her child to the car. Just feet away, behind a locked door, a very different reality is unfolding — one Lisa says too many people have learned to ignore.

The DCNF shared some of its photos and videos with SWF, which were later forwarded to law enforcement.

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