MIAMI — A Brazilian doctor whose wife set off a firestorm by linking President Donald Trump and the first lady to Jeffrey Epstein fled from Miami-Dade days before he was set to go to trial for allegedly conducting cosmetic procedures without a license.

Joao Araujo, 57, is now on the lam, telling a Brazilian journalist Sunday he “escaped the U.S. I’m a fugitive now. With honor.” It’s unclear what Araujo’s whereabouts are, although he is likely in Brazil, which generally does not extradite its citizens.

The interview was conducted in Portuguese; the Miami Herald translated it.

Araujo, a renowned plastic surgeon in Brazil, and his wife Amanda Ungaro, 41, were arrested last year by Aventura police and charged with organized scheme to defraud, grand theft and unlicensed practice of medicine. The duo were accused of conducting cosmetic procedures without a license at their wellness center in Aventura.

Ungaro, a former model and diplomat in the first Trump administration, made headlines in April because she posted on X that the first lady “should be afraid of what I know ... of who you are, and who your husband is.”

Ungaro, who came to the United States on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet when she was 16, was deported to Brazil in October.

She claims her deportation was instigated by her former partner, Paolo Zampolli, a longtime Trump ally and a current Trump administration envoy. She accused Zampolli of using his influence to pressure the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport her to gain custody of their 16-year-old son.

‘Tamper alert’ of ankle monitor

Court records show Araujo left secretly and suddenly just before his trial, which was set for Aug. 4. Three days before, Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation staff got a “tamper alert,” related to his ankle monitor, which led them to respond to Araujo’s last known whereabouts at 10011 Bay Harbor Terrace Bay in Bay Harbor Islands.

When officers arrived, they were “unable to locate device due to the fact that location is a highrise,” according to a court filing. Araujo was on house arrest as he awaited trial.

Miami defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh told the Miami Herald he was prepared to represent Araujo in his trial.

“For reasons unknown to me, he has chosen to make himself unavailable to continue fighting for his innocence,” Eiglarsh said. “If he ever reappears, I will continue to fight zealously on his behalf.”

On Aug. 3, a judge issued an order saying Araujo would be arrested to stand trial in the event he were to return to the U.S. The document mentions Araujo could be extradited to face a jury.

Court records indicate Araujo’s bond was also revoked. In a filing from last August, prosecutors requested that Araujo be held in jail without bail, citing information from detectives that Araujo has “the means and the intention to leave the jurisdiction.”

How Araujo fled is unclear, as his passport was likely taken when he posted his bond. But in the interview with the Brazilian journalist, Araujo acknowledged that he had connections in the Brazilian Consulate in Miami — and turned to consular staff to help Ungaro return to Brazil because they didn't have access to their travel documents.

Araujo, however, didn’t mention in the interview whether the consulate assisted him in fleeing before his trial. The Herald reached out to the Brazilian consulate’s office in Miami for comment Thursday but did not receive a response.

Investigation into Aventura med spa

Araujo, a Brazilian plastic surgeon, and his wife Ungaro came to the attention of Aventura police in April 2024 after authorities received an anonymous tip that they were conducting cosmetic procedures without a license at their wellness center in Aventura.

Ungaro lived with Araujo in a waterfront Sunny Isles Beach condo.

Last June, police accused Ungaro and Araujo of offering liposuction, ear surgeries, Botox injections and fillers at Miami Beauty Academy, 2820 NE 214th St. in Aventura without proper licensing, according to the June 17, 2025, warrant written by Aventura Police Detective Kenneth Sealy. The Academy, the warrant said, was “advertised as a top-notch hub for beauty and healthcare training.”

Araujo, a doctor in Brazil, was listed as a doctor and instructor at the med spa, but he was not licensed in the U.S., according to the warrant.

In January 2025, months before their arrest, a female undercover detective visited the med spa under the guise of wanting a chin liposuction consultation. Ungaro and Araujo told the detective the 40-minute procedure would be conducted using local anesthesia, according to the warrant.

The pair also suggested she complete a laser procedure to tighten up the skin under her chin and take prescription weight loss medicine.

About 25 minutes into the consultation, a licensed physician assistant arrived, according to the warrant. They quoted the detective $5,500 for the procedures.

While the undercover detective was at the consultation, Ungaro texted the physician assistant, telling her she didn’t want Araujo to do the consultation alone because the patient contacted them on Instagram and “we never know,” according to the warrant.

The physician assistant replied that she “will show up so it’s legal.”

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(Former Miami Herald staff writer Adriana Brasileiro contributed to this report.)

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