MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 40-year-old woman from Georgia is the second person to be arrested in connection with a human trafficking and prostitution investigation in Miami-Dade County.
Milagros Lisa Colon, of Dallas, Georgia, was arrested Thursday on charges of human trafficking/coercing commercial sexual activity, deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, aiding or abetting prostitution, directing another to a place of prostitution and unlawful use of a communications device.
Recommended Videos
Co-defendant Juan Montalvo, 45, was arrested on April 12 on the same charges.
Jail records show he also faces additional drug charges, including trafficking illegal drugs, such as fentanyl, heroin and MDMA.
According to Colon’s arrest report, the victim told detectives that she met Colon about eight years ago and Colon befriended her.
About a year after meeting, Colon began inviting the victim on “vacations” with her and Montalvo, but while she and Montalvo would fly to their destinations, Colon would purchase bus passes for the victim, authorities said.
Miami-Dade police said on the first “vacation,” the victim was ordered to engage in commercial sex and turn over all her earnings to Colon and Montalvo.
According to the arrest report, a few months in, Montalvo became physically, psychologically and verbally aggressive toward the victim, beating her on numerous occasions.
Police said Montalvo didn’t allow the victim to obtain or replace her ID card and didn’t allow her to “move freely” without being accompanied by him or Colon, or purchase any items without them being present.
The victim said this left her feeling trapped.
According to the arrest report, Montalvo was always close by when the victim was engaging in commercial sex acts and provided her condoms and lubricant.
Colon would facilitate the room rentals, authorities said.
Police said the victim had daily, weekly and monthly quotas that she was ordered to meet -- $300-$400 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, $1,000 on Thursdays and a weekly total of $3,500.
“If she wants to take a day off from working, she has to pretend to be very sick in the presence of (Montalvo) in order to not have to meet her daily quota,” the arrest report stated.
Detectives said text messages and hotel rental agreements helped corroborate the victim’s claims.
As of Friday afternoon, Colon was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where her bond had yet to be set.
Montalvo is being held at the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center without bond.