3 NOLA clubs raided.

Authorities raided three New Orleans East strip clubs Friday (Aug. 24) after undercover law enforcement discovered prostitution and drug activity at Passions Men's Club, Visions Men's Club and She She's Lounge, the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control said in a statement Monday evening.

She She's and Visions were served with emergency suspensions and ordered to stop serving alcohol pending an emergency hearing; Passions was already under a consent agreement after previous violations. ATC officials said Friday's raids came after "an extended undercover investigation ... uncovered criminal activity including drug sales, drug use, solicitation for prostitution and sex acts."

The raids, which were conducted with the New Orleans Police Department, come seven months after the ATC suspended the licenses of nine French Quarter strip clubs at the start of Mardi Gras season. The same allegations -- prostitution and narcotics -- were leveled against those clubs as well as illegal touching of customers at some of the clubs.


ATC Commissioner Juana Marine Lombard is moving to permanently revoke the liquor license at Passions, deputy commissioner Ernest Legier said. The ATC had previously refused to renew its license, although Passions was not serving alcohol when the raids occurred Friday night, Legier said.

Lombard may also move to revoke Passions' premise license, Legier said, which would prevent the club from operating with or without alcohol. The business has frustrated anti-human trafficking advocates and authorities for years. A former dancer there filed an affidavit in a court case, alleging the club employed underage dancers. An earlier investigation found prostitution so commonplace that an undercover agent was propositioned without asking, according to state records.

The club has also been cited for serving minors.

Visions and Passions are across the street from one another, with Visions at 4000 Downman Road and Passions at 3921 Downman Road. She She's is located in a small shopping center at 9000 Chef Menteur Highway.

All three clubs were closed Monday evening. At Visions, a sign told visitors that the club was closed until Wednesday for renovations. At Passions, a "for sale" sign was on the building.


Legier said in an email that there was one arrest related to Friday's raids, and "several warrants were issued but suspects were not found on site." The warrants were connected with drug sales, he said.

There were no arrests in the French Quarter raids, though four of the clubs that were raided eventually closed.

It is not clear when the New Orleans East clubs will reopen. Visions and She She's are entitled to hearings to lift the suspensions. Such hearings typically result in a consent agreement that calls for the club not to have further violations and adopt security protocols.