Police Investigate Death of Woman at Miami Cosmetic Surgery Recovery House

Ahmonique Miller, a 28-year-old mother from Las Vegas, tragically passed away at a post-surgery recovery house in Miami after undergoing cosmetic surgery at Avana Plastic Surgery. Accompanied by her younger sister, Kiera Barnes, 19, Miller traveled to Miami for a procedure involving liposuction and a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL). Before the surgery on March 6th, both sisters shared their journey on social media. Tragically, on the evening of March 7th, Miami police and fire units were called to Keyla’s Recovery House, located at 3637 SW 4th Street, where they discovered Miller lifeless, face down on a bed.

According to Wakeelah Miller, Ahmonique's mother, the sisters paid $1,500 each for a six-night stay at the facility. Wakeelah relayed that, based on Kiera's account, Ahmonique was given a muscle relaxant and possibly multiple Percocets before going to sleep, from which she never awoke, as reported by outlets like Telemundo 51 and NBC6. The Miami Police Department's homicide unit is investigating the case. Autopsy and toxicology reports are still pending, and no drugs have been officially linked to the cause of death at this time, according to a police spokesperson.

Ahmonique was not only a mother to a one-year-old daughter but also ran two small businesses in Las Vegas and aspired to be a music artist, her mother shared, criticizing the lack of regulation over such recovery houses. The family's attorney, Jahra McLawrence, highlighted the absence of emergency response from the house staff and called for justice: "Recovering from surgery should not be a death sentence," he told Local 10 News.

Neither Keyla Oliver, the owner of the recovery house, nor Avana Plastic Surgery, where the procedure took place, has responded to requests for comments. Miami has become a popular hub for cosmetic surgery seekers, especially among Latina women, but it has also been a site of tragedies associated with unregulated centers or illegal medical practices.

In March 2025, Miami police arrested Wilson Muñoz Suárez, a 60-year-old impersonating a doctor in La Pequeña Habana. He was performing unlicensed cosmetic surgeries at a clinic where he was only registered as a surgical assistant. Upon his arrest, he attempted to evade capture by using his elderly mother as a shield. Suárez faces charges of practicing medicine without a license, domestic violence, and assaulting a person over 65.

That same month, another Cuban national, Mónica García, was arrested for operating an unlicensed cosmetic recovery center in Miami-Dade County. Although García claimed her business, Oasis Retreat, had the necessary permits, she admitted to moving patients to an unauthorized location after a malfunction. State authorities revoked the center's provisional license, and García faces charges while appealing the decision. Her case has highlighted deeper issues regarding the lack of specific regulations for these facilities, as she explained in an interview with Telemundo 51.

This crisis is not new. In December 2024, Mayrelis Mirabal, a Cuban mother of two, died after undergoing abdominal surgery at a Miami clinic. She reportedly felt unwell immediately after the procedure and collapsed. The clinic did not comment, and her death sparked a wave of reactions on social media and public reflection on the risks of cosmetic surgeries.

These deaths and arrests underscore a troubling reality: the absence of oversight and legal gaps surrounding post-surgery recovery centers, many of which operate without licenses or only have provisional permits. Meanwhile, calls for clearer and more specific legislation remain unanswered, in a city recognized by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as the capital of cosmetic surgery in the United States.