There has been a major bust in a multi-state prostitution operation that stretched across southeast New Mexico. The mother and son duo are now facing federal charges for the scheme that involved five different massage parlors in New Mexico and three more in Texas.

Shaoping Wen and Xu Wang were arrested last week in southern New Mexico, nearly nine months after federal authorities were first tipped off.

According to federal documents, an undercover agent entered a massage parlor in Lubbock, Texas in June of last year and paid an Asian woman for a massage. He was eventually offered sex if he paid more.

Documents say the agent left before anything happened. Investigators quickly learned Wen’s name was on the lease, and that parlor was featured on two different websites advertising sexual services in exchange for money.

Documents also show there was a second undercover operation at another Lubbock massage parlor. During that operation, officers arrested a Chinese woman after she reportedly offered sex for more money. Wen reportedly bailed her out of a jail a few days later.

According to court documents, investigators eventually placed a tracking device on Wen’s car, which led them to five more massage parlors in New Mexico – two in Roswell, two in Carlsbad, and one in Clovis. All of those were reportedly operated by Wen.

Documents alleged that the tracking device also showed Wen’s car at the Roswell Air Center, where surveillance video caught her picking up multiple Asian women and driving them directly to the massage parlors after they reportedly flew in from New York and California.

Investigators say all of the New Mexico locations were also listed on the websites offering sexual services.

Undercover agents visited all five locations on Valentine’s Day and were reportedly offered sex in exchange for money at all five locations. Documents reveal many of the women needed translator apps to communicate.

It appears Wen was behind the whole operation. Documents say Wang – who told police he is Wen’s son – was running the parlors while she was away. Regardless, both are charged with “conspiracy to commit interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises” which could land both of them in federal prison for at least five years.

The duo made their first court appearance in Las Cruces earlier this week, before they are extradited back to Lubbock.