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[FLORIDA] - A Miami woman accused of posing as a doctor while performing cosmetic injections was arrested in the middle of a scheduled Botox appointment after Florida health investigators and undercover police officers staged a covert sting operation.

Authorities say the arrest offers a rare glimpse into a rapidly growing underground cosmetic treatment market where unlicensed practitioners allegedly administer powerful injectable drugs to unsuspecting clients seeking cheaper beauty procedures.

According to court records and an arrest affidavit reviewed by USA Herald, 31-year-old Mayling Maya-Giraldo was taken into custody on February 19 at her Miami studio after investigators with the Florida Department of Health arranged an undercover appointment for Botox injections.

The operation unfolded after investigators allegedly discovered two Instagram accounts — mayling.stetic and Dra.Mayling.Setetic — where Maya-Giraldo presented herself as a medical professional and promoted aesthetic procedures including Botox injections, lip fillers, and Endolift laser treatments.

Authorities say the online accounts used the title “Doctor” in promotional materials despite the suspect allegedly lacking a medical license.

According to the arrest affidavit cited by Oxygen.com, investigators scheduled an appointment through Instagram messages and posed as a prospective patient seeking cosmetic treatment.

During the exchange, Maya-Giraldo allegedly advised the undercover investigator that Botox injections in the forehead would help eliminate wrinkles and expression lines. Investigators say she set the price for the treatment at $450, which was agreed to before the meeting.

Later that day, the undercover investigator and a detective arrived at the Miami studio for the appointment.

Authorities say Maya-Giraldo collected the payment before beginning the procedure. Investigators allege she removed the undercover agent’s makeup and applied lidocaine cream, a topical anesthetic commonly used before cosmetic injections.

According to the affidavit, Maya-Giraldo then prepared a vial containing a substance believed to be Botox or a similar injectable product.

At that moment, investigators say a predetermined “take-down signal” was given and members of the Medical Crime Squad entered the location and placed her under arrest.

Maya-Giraldo now faces multiple criminal charges, including practicing health care without a license, possession of a drug with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver, and misrepresenting a professional license, according to court records.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The case raises broader questions about how social media platforms have transformed the cosmetic treatment industry — and how regulators struggle to keep pace with the rise of unlicensed aesthetic providers marketing procedures online.

Botox injections and dermal fillers are classified as medical procedures in Florida and most other states, meaning they must be administered by licensed medical professionals or individuals operating under appropriate medical supervision.

When performed improperly, such injections can lead to serious complications, including nerve damage, infections, vascular blockage, or permanent facial injury.

Investigators have increasingly warned that unlicensed cosmetic injection businesses are proliferating on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, where aesthetic procedures are often promoted directly to consumers through influencer marketing and before-and-after videos.

The Miami arrest is part of a broader enforcement effort by the Florida Department of Health and local law-enforcement agencies to identify individuals allegedly operating outside medical licensing requirements.

What remains unclear is whether the case represents an isolated incident involving a single practitioner — or a small window into a much larger underground cosmetic treatment network operating largely through social media.

That question may become clearer as the investigation continues.

Part 2 of this USA Herald investigative series will examine how the underground cosmetic injection market operates, where the money flows, and why enforcement agencies across the United States say the problem is growing rapidly.