When I first stepped onto the Elijah Rising van, I had no idea how profoundly the experience would change my perspective on Houston—a city I thought I knew well. Like many Houstonians, I had driven past countless massage parlors, cantinas, and strip clubs without fully comprehending what might be happening behind their doors.
The Origin Story of Elijah Rising’s Van Tours
Elijah Rising’s journey began in 2012 with a small, passionate group who gathered weekly to pray for the end of human trafficking in Houston. Their prayers soon transformed into action when they launched their first van tours.
Around that time, a notorious brothel called La Costenita on Houston’s East side was exposed and shut down after seven years of operation. Law enforcement discovered girls as young as 14 trapped in deplorable conditions, living in sheds and makeshift plywood rooms. This shocking news story galvanized the Elijah Rising team to raise awareness about the prevalence of brothels throughout Houston.
One of their earliest victories occurred when they successfully negotiated the closure of Angela’s Day Spa in the Galleria area, a brothel known for trafficking Thai women. During this period, the founder noticed three buildings in the area with the address “5806” and was reminded of Isaiah 58:6:
“Is not this the fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”
This scripture became the heart of their mission—revealing the truth about trafficking venues through educational van tours while working to free those exploited by the commercial sex industry.
What Is an Awareness Van Tour?
Elijah Rising offers awareness Van Tours that take participants through Houston to witness firsthand the prevalence of sex trafficking in our city. These educational tours expose the hidden reality of human trafficking that occurs in plain sight—often in ordinary-looking businesses and residential areas that we pass by every day.
The van tour isn’t about sensationalism or voyeurism—it’s designed to educate the public and inspire action against one of Houston’s most serious but often invisible problems.
Why Houston Is a Hub for Sex Trafficking
During the tour, we learned several key reasons why Houston has become one of the largest hubs for human trafficking in the United States:
- Strategic Location: Houston’s proximity to the Texas-Mexico border, combined with its international airport and shipping ports, makes it a gateway for trafficking.
- High Demand: The city’s male-dominated industries like oil, gas, and energy bring in workers with disposable income, creating a market for commercial sex.
- Decentralized Red Light Districts: Unlike cities where commercial sex is confined to specific areas, Houston’s sex trafficking industry has spread throughout the city and into suburbs, making it harder to combat.
What We Saw: Recognizing the Signs
Perhaps the most eye-opening aspect of the van tour was learning to identify potential trafficking venues. Throughout the tour, we observed:
Residential Brothels
Houses in normal-looking neighborhoods—sometimes within view of schools and churches—that operate as brothels. These locations often feature surveillance cameras, covered windows, and discreet parking arrangements. Their online ads advertise “fresh young girls”.
Illicit Massage Businesses (IMBs)
We learned that Houston has more illicit massage businesses than Starbucks and McDonald’s combined. Common indicators include:
- Tinted or covered windows
- Buzzer-controlled entry
- Security cameras
- Back door entrances
- ATMs inside
- “Reflexology” or “Foot Massage” signs (to avoid massage therapy licensing requirements)
- 24/7 Operating Hours
Cantinas
Seemingly innocent bars and cantinas can be fronts for sex trafficking. Young women, often brought over the border illegally, are forced to sell drinks to customers and and sexual services.
Strip Clubs
We learned about Houston’s controversial “Sweet 16” agreement, which allows certain strip clubs to bypass ordinances in exchange for contributing to the city’s anti-trafficking task force—a policy that many critics believe actually enables exploitation.
The Human Cost of Sex Trafficking
The van tour wasn’t just about identifying locations; it was about understanding the devastating human impact of sex trafficking. The guides shared stories of women who:
- Are forced to live inside massage parlors, available 24/7
- Drink up to 30 alcoholic beverages per shift at cantinas
- Experience violence and trauma at the hands of buyers
- Are controlled through threats, debt bondage, and isolation
- The addiction to substances because of the continual abuse and long hours
One particularly moving moment came when we passed a small memorial outside a hotel—a sobering reminder of a trafficking victim who a buyer had murdered.
How Elijah Rising Is Responding
Beyond raising awareness through van tours, Elijah Rising takes a multi-faceted approach to combating sex trafficking:
- Intervention Programs: Teams visit locations where trafficking occurs to build relationships with victims and offer resources.
- Restorative Care Program: This program provides comprehensive services, including safe housing, mental health treatment, addiction recovery, education, and occupational development for survivors.
- Education and Advocacy: Offers training and resources to help individuals and organizations recognize and respond to trafficking.
What You Can Do to Help
The van tour concluded with practical ways to join the fight against sex trafficking:
- Recognize the signs of trafficking and report suspicious activity law enforcement
- Support organizations like Elijah Rising that provide direct services to survivors.
- Educate others about the reality of trafficking in Houston.
- Advocate for stronger laws and policies against trafficking.
A Call to Action
The awareness van tour leaves participants with a choice: to return to daily life unchanged or to become part of the solution. As I stepped off the van at the end of the tour, I realized I could no longer drive through Houston without seeing the signs of trafficking that had always been there. Knowledge brings responsibility, and now that I’ve witnessed the reality of sex trafficking in Houston, I can’t look away.
If you’re interested in experiencing an awareness van tour for yourself, Elijah Rising offers them regularly. Visit our Van Tour page and learn more about how you can join the fight against human trafficking in our city.
