AOC slammed for being MIA as Queens district struggles with ‘Market of Sweethearts’: 'Never been helpful'

WASHINGTON, DC: It’s a street crawling with s*x workers, gangsters, and knockoff goods, and residents say their high-profile Congresswoman is nowhere to be found.

Fed-up Queens residents, merchants, and community leaders are blasting Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for going AWOL as the Roosevelt Avenue corridor (also known as the “Market of Sweethearts”) spirals deeper into lawlessness.

The area has become a magnet for prostitution, street peddlers, and gang-driven activity, all exacerbated by the city’s worsening migrant crisis.

“I have not personally seen Ocasio-Cortez since she’s been elected. I have not seen her in the community,” Rosa Sanchez, head of the Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition, told the New York Post. “I have seen her in a parade, that’s it.”

The district is split between AOC and fellow Democratic Rep Grace Meng, but the stretch in question falls under Ocasio-Cortez’s jurisdiction, and locals say her silence has been deafening.  

Crime and trafficking surge as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out: 'Our community is suffering',

Despite NYPD crackdowns and city sweeps, the area remains in chaos. Street vendors, some allegedly selling stolen goods, are pushing legitimate shops out of business. Even worse, young women are reportedly being trafficked for sex in plain sight.

“You have young women held against their will. They’re being sex trafficked. This is not normal,” Rosa Sanchez added. “Our community is suffering.

Mauricio Zamora, president of the Neighbors of the American Triangle, didn’t hold back. “AOC has never been helpful,” he said, noting that he finally met with her on July 25 to discuss the vending problem in Corona Plaza.

But what he got wasn’t exactly reassuring. According to Zamora, Ocasio-Cortez pointed fingers at City Hall and the NYPD, saying broader crime concerns weren’t her responsibility.

Compare that to Bronx Rep Ritchie Torres, who’s publicly pressured Mayor Eric Adams to clean up The Hub, a notorious Bronx drug and sex den. Queens residents say they wish their own representative showed even a fraction of that determination. 

Residents and shopkeepers say they’ve never seen AOC on crime-ridden Roosevelt Avenue

On July 27, the New York Post went boots-on-the-ground in the Roosevelt Avenue war zone. Sure enough, sex workers were openly working the strip beneath the elevated 7 train.

Two dozen residents and shopkeepers confirmed they’ve never once seen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez show face.

“No, I have never seen AOC here. I’ve seen the local city councilman [Francisco Moya]. I’ve seen the police. I’ve never seen AOC,” said Jenny Leo, a pharmacist at Mi Farmacia on 90-15 Roosevelt Ave.

Leo said a recent police blitz, dubbed Operation Restore Roosevelt, helped a bit but not enough. “It’s not getting worse, but it’s not getting better either,” she said. That brief surge in enforcement faded quickly, and now the vendors are back.

David Ortega, who manages Bravo Supermarket nearby, said thieves regularly loot beer, detergent, and meat with little fear of consequences.

“People are stealing meat and beer and laundry detergent. The police come and they take them outside,” Ortega said. “Two times recently, the thieves tell me that they’re going to wait for me when I leave. They’re not afraid. It is not changing. It is the same.”

When asked about AOC, he flatly said, “She doesn’t come here."

Despite raids and arrests, Roosevelt Avenue residents say enforcement falls short 

Local leaders have been sounding the alarm for years. They eventually went over AOC’s head, sending letters to Donald Trump administration, pleading with the FBI and Homeland Security to dismantle the gangs taking over Roosevelt Avenue.

Last month, federal agents finally took action. A gang of illegal migrants was charged with extorting brothels, beating rivals, and running a black market in drugs and fake IDs. They were reportedly funneling cash to a shadowy network in El Salvador.

But long-time activist and former Councilman Hiram Monserrate says more needs to be done, and that AOC needs to step up.

“We want our Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to use her platform to bring in more police officers to stabilize the area. We want our community back,” he said.

Monserrate credited the NYPD’s recent 90-day push for a temporary 28% crime drop, a figure touted by the mayor. Even Gov Kathy Hochul dispatched 100 state troopers to bolster the effort.

Still, Monserrate said it wasn’t enough. “We need them back,” he added, calling for a re-establishment of law enforcement in the corridor.

Team AOC says congresswoman is focused on 'solutions, not credit' amid criticism

Caught in the crossfire, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s office defended her record and claimed she’s been working to clean things up, just not in front of the cameras.

Karla Santillan, a spokesperson for AOC, said the congresswoman recently met with community members about street vending in Corona Plaza and has led multiple plaza cleanups.

“The congresswoman is focused on solutions, not credit,” Santillan said. “She has done multiple cleanups of the plaza on the other side, and on the official side has worked with DOT to fix street lights and improve sanitation.”

She pointed to AOC’s post on X (formerly Twitter) to back it up.

“Happy to be back in Corona Plaza to continue our team’s conversations with vendors and local business owners about our coordinated efforts to make Roosevelt Avenue a safer and cleaner place,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online