(NOQ Report)—While Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., travels by private jet for her “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, her Queens constituents are urging the FBI and DEA to tackle illegal sex work and drug trafficking that they say have transformed their neighborhood into a “gangland.”
Last week, community leaders, including former Democratic state Senator Hiram Monserrate, wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel, requesting federal agents to address the escalating issues along Roosevelt Avenue—a 2-mile commercial strip compared to a Third World country and a red-light district, where sex workers openly solicit on sidewalks.
Residents claim the 18th Street Gang has seized control of illegal activities, stepping in after other gangs, like Tren de Aragua, were disrupted by a large-scale police operation that led to hundreds of arrests.
The police effort, dubbed “Operation Restore Roosevelt,” began in October, deploying hundreds of city and state troopers to the area. The NYPD reported to Fox News Digital that the operation achieved a 37% year-to-date crime reduction in the Roosevelt Avenue area, with over 1,800 arrests and 15,000 summonses issued.
Local residents and activists praised New York City Mayor Eric Adams for leading the intensive 90-day police initiative.
However, locals say the operation’s impact was fleeting, with bars now serving as makeshift brothels where dances can quickly turn into paid sex in grimy downstairs rooms. Many of the sex workers are migrants, according to community leaders.
“The NYPD’s Operation Restore Roosevelt did lead to arrests, but our street sources say the gangs replaced their foot soldiers within days,” said the advocates, including Monserrate.
“The money never stopped moving, the dance floors stayed open, and the prostitutes came back in full force. 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.”
They described Roosevelt Avenue as a “well-oiled criminal machine,” with the strip functioning as a marketplace for gang activity. “Roosevelt Avenue doesn’t just have a gang problem. It has become gangland.”
The NYPD has not verified the residents’ claims about gang operations in the area.
Monserrate told Fox News Digital that crime remains a persistent issue, citing a recent fatal stabbing near a subway station where a man was killed trying to stop a thief from stealing his bike. He also shared a video allegedly showing 23 sex workers on a single block.
In September, Fox News Digital footage captured at least 19 alleged sex workers on one block of Roosevelt Avenue, with seven more on the adjacent block. One woman was seen offering sex for $60.
Ocasio-Cortez has not responded to multiple Fox News Digital inquiries about the Roosevelt Avenue situation. She is set to host a town hall in the neighborhood on Saturday.
Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., whose district also covers the area, told Fox News Digital that she is actively monitoring the NYPD’s efforts to enhance public safety and quality of life.
“I have confidence in the NYPD’s commitment and capability to address these challenges, and I commend their sustained presence and work in the community,” Meng said.
“As the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for funding for law enforcement agencies such as the NYPD and FBI, I will continue to advocate for the resources they need to protect residents in Queens.”
Article generated from legacy media reports.
