Napa Man Arrested, Accused of Running Brothel, Trafficking Immigrant Women

San Rafael police arrested two men Thursday for human trafficking in San Rafael and Napa.

Erik Cosme, 33, of Napa, and Delmar Tanchez, 31, of San Rafael were arrested after a six-month investigation of prostitution in San Rafael's Canal neighborhood, police said.

Cosme also operated a brothel at his home in Napa, police said. Cosme would facilitate the transportation of at least two Hispanic women every week, police said.

(Further details on the Napa locale were not released. Patch will update when more information is available.)

The women are believed to be new immigrants from Central America, police said.

The investigation, which included the FBI and the Marin County Probation and Sheriff's departments, began in October after police received a complaint about prostitution in the Canal area, police said.

Cosme operated a residence solely for prostitution and benefited financially from the operation, police said.

The operation moved to residences in different parts of the Canal area and finally settled at an apartment at 260 Canal St., police said.

Two women believed to be victims of human trafficking were in the apartment when Cosme and Tanchez were arrested, police said.

The women were offered services from the Center for Domestic Peace and were released, police said.

Cosme and Tanchez were booked in the Marin County jail for pimping, pandering and keeping a house of prostitution.

-- Bay City News