Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper announced on Apr. 18 that three individuals were arrested in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, for allegedly operating a prostitution ring and harboring illegal aliens at Tootsys Gentlemen’s Club.
The arrests are significant as they address concerns about human trafficking, exploitation, and immigration crimes within the territory. The charges also highlight efforts by law enforcement to target organized criminal activity that can impact community safety.
According to court documents, Hussein Jamil (also known as Hussian Jamil Suarez or “Tony”), Magda Castro Santos (“Tatiana”), and Julio Hidaldo De Pena allegedly ran Tootsys as a brothel by recruiting women through social media platforms such as Instagram, hiring both U.S. citizens and undocumented immigrants as dancers and sex workers. Authorities say Jamil financed travel for workers from the mainland United States to St. Thomas and paid for smuggling operations to bring non-citizens into the territory illegally.
Most dancers reportedly lived in a house rented by Jamil on St. Thomas, with Hidaldo De Pena transporting them between the residence and Tootsys for their shifts while Castro Santos managed payments from clients at the club. Prosecutors allege that a coercive fee scheme pressured dancers into engaging in commercial sex acts both at Tootsys and offsite locations.
Jamil, Castro Santos, and Hildaldo de Pena face charges including conspiracy to transport individuals for purposes of prostitution, conspiracy related to racketeering enterprises involving interstate or foreign travel or transportation, and conspiracy to harbor aliens for financial gain—carrying maximum penalties ranging from five to ten years if convicted.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Baker and Cherrisse Woods along with Trial Attorneys Jessica Arco and Clayton O’Connor of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section; it is investigated by federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The investigation is supported by JTFA—the Justice Department's task force targeting high-impact human smuggling organizations across North America—as well as broader efforts under Executive Order 14159 aimed at dismantling transnational criminal groups through interagency collaboration.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Virgin Islands works throughout all islands in partnership with local law enforcement agencies on crime prevention initiatives; it enforces federal laws via criminal prosecutions intended to protect national security while enhancing community safety across its operational facilities in St. Thomas and St. Croix according to its official website.
