Miami Spa Duo Charged in Silicone Injection Scam

Maribel Jimenez and Magaly Del Rosario, two Miami-Dade women, are behind bars after a federal indictment exposed their alleged role in a dangerous underground network of illicit silicone injections. Operating out of Bella Beauty Spa on West Flagler Street, the pair is accused of injecting hundreds of clients with smuggled, misbranded silicone under the guise of cosmetic enhancement — a scheme that endangered lives and defrauded customers for years.

The 20-count indictment charges Jimenez and Del Rosario with conspiring from 2008 through August 2015 to receive and deliver adulterated and misbranded medical devices, including industrial-grade silicone smuggled from Colombia. Prosecutors allege the duo used approximately 170 DHL shipments to bring in the substance, falsifying labels to declare contents as ‘Depilatory Wax’ to evade U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Once in the country, the silicone was injected deep into clients’ buttocks for profit — despite having no medical approval for such use.

Jimenez, owner of Bella Beauty Spa, personally administered the injections with assistance from Del Rosario, who managed daily operations. In addition to the silicone, the women allegedly injected misbranded prescription drugs like lidocaine and Botox, never disclosing the true nature of the substances. Count 2 of the indictment accuses them of wire and mail fraud for lying to clients about the safety and composition of the injections, deliberately concealing the health risks tied to silicone injections.

As clients began reporting severe health complications — including infections, organ damage, and chronic pain — Jimenez and Del Rosario allegedly stayed silent. They never informed victims they had been injected with industrial silicone, nor did they warn them of the potentially fatal consequences. Instead, prosecutors say, they continued the operation for years, profiting while lives hung in the balance.

Jimenez faces additional charges beyond the conspiracy counts: smuggling offenses (Counts 10-14) tied to the illicit importation of silicone, and false statement charges (Counts 15-20) for deceiving federal authorities. If convicted, she and Del Rosario could face decades in federal prison, with each count carrying substantial penalties under federal health and fraud statutes.

‘Criminal conduct that poses a significant health risk to the general public is of grave concern,’ said U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer. FDA-OCI Special Agent in Charge Justin Green added, ‘Serious harm, including death, can occur when individuals have liquid silicone injected into their buttocks.’ Authorities urge the public to vet cosmetic procedures thoroughly and avoid unlicensed clinics pushing dangerous shortcuts for profit.

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