3 Arrested On Human Trafficking Charges In Miami-Dade

MIAMI, FL — Three people have been arrested on human trafficking charges in Miami-Dade County after driving from North Carolina to Georgia and finally arriving in the Miami area, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.

State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced the charges during a Friday afternoon press conference.

Fernandez Rundle identified two of the people facing charges as brothers Jamil and Jaleel Graves of High Point, North Carolina. The third person arrested was identified as China Blount of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Fernandez Rundle said the victim is the former girlfriend of Jamil Graves, who is also the father of the victim's 4-year-old son. The woman managed to get away as the brothers were arguing in a car parked along Miami Beach.

"This victim sees a moment, and she seizes the moment to escape and she breaks away and runs down the street so fast," said Fernandez Rundle. "She gets to a Miami Beach police officer and that was the beginning of her freedom."

The State Attorney's Office Human Trafficking Task Force arrested and charged all three with trafficking offenses.

Arrest documents said the three picked up the victim at her grandmother's home under the pretense of asking her to accompany Jamil Graves to court. But instead, they drove her to Atlanta, where Jamil Graves wanted her to work as a prostitute to earn money for their hotel stay.

Fearing that the woman would run away, the trio drove to Miami and once again wanted the victim to work as a prostitute along Miami Beach.

Last month, dozens of trafficking experts, law enforcement officials, federal and local prosecutors as well as representatives of support groups gathered in Miami for the 8th Annual Human Trafficking Forum sponsored by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office and Saint Thomas University School of Law.

The issue is particularly relevant this year as Miami prepares to host the Super Bowl for a record 11th time. The average sex trafficking victim is forced to have sex up to 20 times a day, every day of the week, in what has become a $32 billion industry across the United States.

Representatives of the Miami Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Miami Gardens Police Department, Coral Gables Police Department and Miami Springs Police Department are all participating on the task force.