CBS4's Ashley Dyer Takes First-Hand Look At Human Trafficking Ahead Of Big Events

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Formula 1 has officially arrived in South Florida along with hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world.

With that, comes another major moneymaker: Human trafficking.

On Friday, CBS4's Ashley Dyer drove along with private investigators to see firsthand how prevalent the underground business is.

"These are all of the ones from about 9 this morning," said John Rode, a private investigator. He's showing us numbers for all of the sex ads he's found online in the Miami-Dade area.

Stop number one took us to a hotel about a mile away from Miami International Airport.

"She sent a picture of the hotel hallway," he showed us.

But there was an issue.

"She says when you get to the lobby cash app me half the money upfront or Zelle me. This is very very common. A lot of them now are asking for a payment upfront. By them doing this it's like a security feature so they know it's not law enforcement and they can't get arrested," explains Rode.

The next stop: A motel on Okeechobee Road. This one is a go.

'She just texted me the room number. #241. So, we're going to go up to the room right now," he said.

John Rode and his partner, David Ward are former homicide and narcotics detectives with Miami-Dade Police. Now, they're part of a non-profit called Global Children's Rescue. They spend their days trying to help women escape human trafficking.

"It's more prevalent now than ever," said Rode.

Watch: Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle holds press conference on human trafficking:

He explains, large events draw thousands of people to town and one of the things they're buying while they're here, is sex.

"Up to $1000, $2000 - 2 girls - $4000," said David Ward, a private investigator.

"This is a large society of criminals that are involved in this," Ward explains.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office is taking a proactive approach, training 500 people in the restaurant, hospitality, and airport industries to be on the lookout this weekend for traffickers and victims.

"They have their own investigative crew with arrest powers," said Rode.

While John and David, take matters into their own hands. Working to alert police and hotels of human trafficking.

We asked if they're able to rescue some of these women? Rode said, "Yes, we are. Most people look at these cases and think oh it's just prostitution. It's a lot more than just prostitution."