Second arrest of sex trafficking victims in Miami-Dade County

MIAMI DADE COUNTY, Florida. – A 40-year-old Georgia woman is the second person 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, coercion to engage in commercial sexual activity, obtaining a living from the proceeds of prostitution, facilitating prostitution, directing another person to a place of prostitution and unauthorized use of a communications device.

Co-defendant Juan Montalvo, 45, was arrested on April 12 on the same charges.

Prison records show that he also has other drug charges against him, including trafficking in illegal drugs such as fentanyl, heroin and MDMA.

According to Colon’s police report, the victim told investigators that she met Colon about eight years ago and that Colon became friends with her.

About a year after they met, Colon began inviting the victim to “vacation” with her and Montalvo, but while she and Montalvo flew to their destinations, Colon bought bus tickets for the victim, authorities said.

Miami-Dade police said the victim was forced to engage in paid sex during his first “vacation” and to give all of his earnings to Colon and Montalvo.

According to the police report, after a few months, Montalvo became physically, psychologically and verbally aggressive towards the victim and hit her several times.

According to police, Montalvo did not allow the victim to obtain an ID or a replacement ID, nor did he allow her to “move freely” without his or Colon’s company or to make any purchases in their presence.

The victim said it made her feel trapped.

According to the police report, Montalvo was always nearby during the victim’s commercial sex acts and provided her with condoms and lubricants.

Colon will make it easier to rent rooms, authorities said.

According to police, the victim had to meet daily, weekly and monthly quotas: $300 to $400 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, $1,000 on Thursdays and a total of $3,500 weekly.

“If she wants to take a day off from work, she has to pretend to be very sick in Montalvo’s presence in order to avoid having to meet her daily quota,” the police report states.

Investigators said text messages and hotel rental agreements helped corroborate the victim’s statements.

As of Friday afternoon, Colon is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her bail has not yet been set.

Montalvo is being held without bail at the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center.