Three people, a 34-year-old man and two women, were arrested in an undercover prostitution sting that Miami police say was tied to Miami Music Week. The operation teamed detectives with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force and the Miami Police Department’s Special Investigations Section. According to authorities, the arrests followed a meeting between an undercover detective and the suspects at a Miami hotel, where officers moved in after cash changed hands.
Undercover texts led detectives to a Miami hotel
Investigators reviewing online escort ads say they texted a number listed in one of the posts and were instructed to contact a man who called himself "Axel," who "has a lot of girls," an arrest report states, according to NBC 6 South Florida. After an undercover officer arranged a hotel meetup, two women arrived in a vehicle registered to 34-year-old Axhel Perea, investigators said. The officer agreed to pay each woman $1,000, and once the money was handed over, police made the arrests. Authorities say Perea tried to drive away, but officers stopped him and he was taken into custody.
Task force steps up around big events
The State Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force regularly joins forces with local police to run undercover operations ahead of major festivals and sporting events in Miami-Dade, an effort aimed at spotting possible trafficking victims and disrupting alleged exploiters when online sex ads surge. The office’s February newsletter details those proactive tactics and the task force’s role in gearing up for a packed 2026 events calendar that includes large music and sporting gatherings, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
Charges and what they mean
Police say Perea was booked on two counts each of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution and directing another to a place of prostitution, while 30-year-old Sandra Huaman and 33-year-old Maria Ribeiro were arrested on charges of committing or engaging in prostitution, as reported by NBC 6 South Florida. Under Florida law, deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution is a felony that bars a person from living on or otherwise benefiting from someone else’s prostitution income, and the statute outlines penalties for first-time and repeat offenses, per the Florida Statutes.
What comes next and resources
The case is expected to move through the standard investigative and charging process, with the State Attorney’s Office reviewing the arrest report and evidence before deciding on formal charges. Anyone with information related to this investigation, or who believes someone may be a trafficking victim, is asked to call the State Attorney’s Human Trafficking Hotline at (305) 349-7867 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, according to the State Attorney’s human trafficking site.
