BATON ROUGE — After detectives arrested multiple people for a trafficking operation taking place out of an apartment on Holt Ave. in Baton Rouge, along with a home in Kenner, EBRSO arrested another person allegedly involved in the operation.
Edyn Arevalo, known as “Chupito,” was arrested on multiple charges on Nov. 13 for his alleged involvement in a trafficking scheme officials say was run by a man called “Primo.”
In January, EBRSO Criminal Intelligence Division detectives received information that a person known as “Primo” was allegedly trafficking women out of an apartment on Holt Ave. in Baton Rouge. After verifying the information, detectives began an investigation into “Primo’s” alleged operation, which included surveillance on two homes in the Baton Rouge area and one in the Kenner area.
Inside the alleged trafficking operation
In the investigation, detectives identified Maurilio Vargas as “Primo,” along with his wife, Zabdi Guzman-Diaz, as a co-conspirator, per EBRSO. Alongside Homeland Security and using a confidential informant, detectives learned that Vargas was allegedly using WhatsApp (a free messaging application) to exploit women aged 23-30 for “commercial sex acts,” a warrant says.
Detectives obtained warrants for their arrests as well as search warrants for the homes allegedly tied to the investigation. The two were arrested on Nov. 6.
After their arrests, detectives say they learned from Vargas about another person (called Chupito) allegedly involved in the trafficking operation. He told detectives that he paid Chupito approximately $600 per week to help with the women in New Orleans. According to the affidavit, his wife confirmed the same information and both identified Edyn Arevalo as the person referred to as Chupito.
On Nov. 13, detectives took Arevalo into custody and brought him in for an interview. Using an interpreter in the interview, Arevalo allegedly told detectives that Vargas (“Primo”) had approached him about a job opportunity because Arevalo was unable to work in construction due to a medical issue, per the affidavit.
Arevalo said that initially he did not know what the job was, but he drove to New Orleans with Vargas. There, he learned that he would be “providing security and collecting the money from the women at the location,” according to the arrest warrant.
A workday would last from around 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., he told detectives. Whenever he heard a knock at the door or got a phone call from Vargas, Arevalo would let the client inside and step away “while the sexual service was being provided,” but that he would stay nearby because “he didn’t want anything to happen to the women,” the affidavit says.
Once the clients would leave, Arevalo said he collected money from the women; he told detectives that women would have between 10-13 clients per day. At the end of the week, he would drive back to Baton Rouge and give the cash to Vargas, according to the affidavit. He allegedly received around $700 per week for his work.
Arevalo was charged with promoting prostitution, criminal conspiracy-human trafficking, and pandering.
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
Support UWK and its mission to deliver The News You Deserve. Unfiltered. Become a monthly patron on Patreon today!
