Female Teacher Arrested After Being Indicted for Sex Trafficking of Children in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — On July 10, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging a woman from Bayamón with sex trafficking of children. Lizamarie Rivera-García, 42, was arrested today by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.

“These charges reflect the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct inflicted on her victims,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The sexual exploitation of children robs children of their freedom, dignity and sense of security. Such conduct is unacceptable in our society. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will use all the tools at our disposal to prosecute sex traffickers and to seek justice for the victims.”

“We cannot let our guard down! Our children are being sexually exploited by individuals in positions of public trust. Law enforcement agencies are committed to being the voice of these victims,” said Rebecca C. Gonzalez-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge. “HSI’s multidisciplinary team will guarantee that our children receive the necessary assistance to overcome this trauma, and our agents will make sure that these individuals are arrested, away from causing more damage. A female religion teacher that had the responsibility to guiding our children about principles and beliefs was actually developing a plan to sexually assault them. HSI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are committed to protecting our children. We will not let these acts happen on our watch.”

According to court documents, between December 2023 and October 2024, Lizamarie Rivera-García knowingly and willfully recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a 15-year-old male minor to engage in commercial sex acts. Rivera-García is also accused with knowingly employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing the same 15-year-old male minor to engage in sexual activity; transporting the male victim in a commonwealth, territory or possession of the United States, with intent that the male individual engage in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense; and using internet instant messaging services and social media, to knowingly transfer and attempt to transfer obscene matter to an individual who had not attained the age of 16 years. 

In addition, from in or about December 2023 to November 2024, Rivera-García knowingly and willfully recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a 17-year-old male minor to engage in commercial sex acts.

If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: sex trafficking of a child -  a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to life in prison; transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity -- a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; and coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison.  All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI San Juan is leading the investigation into this case, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea, from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to IntelHSISanJuan@hsi.dhs.gov. Learn more about ICE HSI San Juan’s mission to increase public safety in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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