2 women charged after operating unlicensed cosmetic surgery recovery house in Miami

Two Florida women have been charged for running a cosmetic surgery house without a license, making at least $4,250 daily on the women who stayed there.

Yenisley Diaz-Peraza, 35, and Yenisel Diaz, 38, were arrested on Oct. 5 after police searched a Miami home known as "Yeni's House."

According to the arrest affidavit obtained by USA TODAY, police found 17 patients inside in the home, three of whom were there before their operations, and four employees. The patients told police that they had paid $250 deposits over the phone ahead of their stay to someone named "Dora," who was later identified as the co-defendants. They then paid cash upon arrival for the rest of the fee for the stay. Patients said they stayed two to five nights on average for $250-$300 a night, the affidavit states. Police also found a purse that appeared to belong to one of the co-defendants with $4,200 cash inside, the affidavit states.

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Inside the unlicensed operation

Diaz-Peraza, Diaz and the staff had provided the patients with assistance bathing, dressing, eating, using the toilet and administering medication during their stay, the patients told police.

While conducting their search, police found medical waste such as objects saturated with human fecal matter, blood and urine, stored in normal trash cans as opposed to biohazardous waste bins.

The business "Yeni's House" is registered by co-defendants going back to January 2022, but the affidavit shows that it did not have the license for an assisted-living facility.

Diaz-Peraza has been charged with 14 felony counts of operating an assisted living facility without a license, two additional felony counts for a litter law violation and a hazardous waste violation, and two related misdemeanors.

Diaz has been charged with one felony count of operating an assisted living facility without a license, two additional felony counts for a litter law violation and a hazardous waste violation, and two related misdemeanors.

Both women pleaded not guilty, and their attorney did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

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Cosmetic surgery's impact on medical tourism

Cosmetic surgeries have seen an uptick in recent years and more specifically there appears to be a growing number of people who are traveling to get these procedures.

Traveling after a major surgery can be risky, as sitting for a long time or flying can increase risk of blood-clots. UCLA Health encourages plastic surgery patients to have a caretaker for the first few days after the procedure.

As the Miami Herald reported, a service for this is not widely available, so people coming to Miami from out of town for these elective surgeries must find post-surgery recovery arrangements until their wounds heal.

Florida law does not license for this specific service, the Herald reported, but there is a statute that defines assisted living facility as a facility that provides personal services for more than 24 hours to one more adults who are not adults of the owner of the facility.

Contributing: Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY