by A 17-year-old girl who had been missing for five years was recently discovered and rescued from an alleged human trafficker in Miami-Dade County. The Miami-Dade Police, in a press release, announced that the victim was saved by detectives from the Human Trafficking Squad, and the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Christian Manuel Carvajal, was arrested and charged with human trafficking.
The arrest affidavit revealed that a missing persons investigation had uncovered an illicit online advertisement featuring photos of the victim, who had been classified as a runaway since 2019. In an effort to rescue her and ensure her safety, undercover detectives arranged a meeting with the victim, offering a $500 date.
Upon arriving at the designated meetup location, a young girl matching the description of the missing juvenile emerged from a white Mercedes-Benz driven by Carvajal. Without incident, he was apprehended and transported to the MDPD headquarters. Simultaneously, the victim was rescued and also taken to headquarters.
During interviews at the police headquarters, the victim disclosed that she had met Carvajal on Instagram a week prior to the incident. She stated that she had agreed to pay him $250 to transport her to the meetup. Furthermore, she revealed that Carvajal had arranged two additional dates for her, with one offering a payment of $1,000, out of which $500 was to be given to Carvajal for setting it up and providing transportation. The victim willingly allowed detectives to search her phone and review her messages with Carvajal.
Carvajal, after being read his rights, informed the police that he had encountered the victim on Instagram a few days before and had been communicating with her until the day of the incident. He claimed that she had requested a ride, which he agreed to provide for $200. He intended to wait for her date to conclude and then drive her from Miami to Homestead. Although Carvajal assumed she was underage, he made no effort to verify her age, except for asking her once, to which she falsely responded that she was 18.
Carvajal was also found to have offered the victim a “marijuana smoking device” while they waited to meet the undercover detectives. The police verified Carvajal’s Instagram account, which matched the profile the victim had been conversing with online. He acknowledged being aware of the victim’s Instagram profile and shared this information with the detectives. After his arrest, Carvajal was formally charged and transported to TGK.
The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by human trafficking and the importance of ongoing efforts to combat this heinous crime. The Miami-Dade Police and their Human Trafficking Squad are dedicated to protecting vulnerable individuals and bringing traffickers to justice.
