A man and woman have been charged with trafficking and forcing Cuban women into sex work in Miami-Dade, according to police. Vicenta Polanco, 30, and Luis Ariel Escalante, 24, are behind bars after two victims claimed they were smuggled into the US and coerced into prostitution, as per NBC Miami.

The scheme initially lured the women with the promise of jobs as exotic dancers but once stateside the reality was far more sinister. Instead of dancing, the women were forced into prostitution with threats involving their Cuban passports and legal documents, that were allegedly taken to ensure their 'cooperation'.

Jail records show that both Polanco and Escalante were arrested Tuesday on human trafficking and prostitution charges with law enforcement detailing their operation that transformed the victims' American dreams into engaging with four to five clients daily for seven days a week. They were expected to work to pay off debts claimed between $10,000 to $12,000, according to victim statements detailed in Caribbean National Weekly.

The women reportedly lived in an apartment that served as their makeshift workplace, or were driven to clients by Polanco or Escalante, "seeing four to five customers per day," as one victim described in a statement obtained by NBC Miami. This daily grind was the method of repayment for the so-called debts held over their heads.

Once they demanded their documents back, their requests were denied which led them to contact the police. Polanco and Escalante's arrest quickly followed, with officers discovering $9,000 in cash, eight mobile phones, three laptops, and two iPads during the search of their residence. Caribbean National Weekly reported that in court Wednesday, the accused were appointed public defenders and ordered held without bond.