El Paso Standard

El Paso, Texas—The City of El Paso has filed a civil lawsuit against Jaguars Gold Club, 11377 Gateway West Blvd., for allegedly violating Sexually Oriented Businesses Ordinances under Title 5 of the City code.

The lawsuit filed by the City seeks both temporary and permanent injunctions against the Jaguars Gold Club, its owners, and managers, citing more than 25 alleged violations of the Sexually Oriented Businesses ordinances. These alleged violations include issues such as failure to have a business license, unauthorized sale of beer/alcohol, prostitution, illicit drug use, drug trafficking, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and more.

"The City would like to thank the hard work of the El Paso Police Department, the legal teams, and all the other agencies involved in the investigation of this case, because without their hard work we would not be able to address these very serious crimes that affect the health and safety of our community,” said City Attorney Karla Nieman.

The Nuisance Abatement Team of the County Attorney’s Office has also filed a separate lawsuit to secure an immediate Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the for-profit corporation RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc., and the managers of the business Angel Richard “Ricco” Torres, Donnell Lee James, and Javier Diaz.

The TRO effectively shut down Jaguar's operations. The City and County will continue their investigations and prepare for further legal proceedings to include a permanent injunction and civil penalties.

The El Paso Police Department Vice and Narcotics units, Pebble Hills Regional Command, and State investigators provided compelling evidence alleging that Jaguars had become a persistent center for criminal activity, to include more than 750 calls for service received from January 2018 to December 31, 2023, varying from discharge of a firearm; drug delivery, possession, or use; prostitution; aggravated assault; sale of beer or alcohol without a permit/license; and other criminal activities.

Last night, investigators from the El Paso County Attorney's Office in collaboration with the Texas Anti-Gang Center, the El Paso Police Department and Department of Homeland Security served the establishment with the TRO directing the business to remain closed until March 5, 2024.

Original source can be found here.