Asian Restaurant Owner Arrested Following Human Trafficking Investigation

ABILENE, TX – An Abilene man was arrested on Tuesday following a year long investigation relating to human trafficking.

According to court documents, on Nov. 2, Hai Zhuang was arrested for human trafficking. He is currently in the Taylor County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

Zhuang was arrested by the Abilene Police Department after the Texas Attorney General's Office received a statement from an illegal alien who claimed he was held against his will and was worked for little to no money. 

A local Abilene Station claims that the immigrant told investigators that he and 12 other Hondurans were smuggled into the country by train and by foot. The group was taken to a stash house in Houston and from there he was taken to the Abilene restaurant named 'Fun Noodle.'

While being dropped off the Honduran claimed that Zhuang and the smuggler, identified as Gerardo "Chapin" Quijada-Soto, worked a deal. The deal was that the Honduran would work for six months and in return he would get free room and board and $2,000. 

The Honduran was forced to work 10-12 hour days with no break or food. At home the man was forced to sleep in a water heater closet. The majority of the food given to the man was of course noodles. 

The man was able to escape from the house in Abilene in Aug. 2021. This was when the investigation began.

The Texas Attorney General's Office was able to also locate the stash house in Houston.