HSI San Juan Arrests 2 Men on Child Exploitation Charges

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – In two separate cases, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, with the support of the Puerto Rico Police Department arrested two men indicted for child exploitation, announced Héctor Ramírez Carbó, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. 

On November 12, 2026, HSI special agents arrested Christian Cedeño Rodríguez, a 25-year-old man from Salinas, PR. According to court documents, from in or about May 2026, to October 2026, Cedeño Rodríguez employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child exploitation material. From May to October 2026, Cedeño Rodríguez knowingly received child pornography by electronic devices and transferred obscene material to the minor. 

Assistant United States Attorney Emelina Agrait Barreto, from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case.

In an unrelated case, on November 12, 2026, HSI special agents arrested Elvin Miranda Rivera, 44, of Morovis. According to the indictment, on July 28, 2026, Miranda Rivera employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child exploitation material. From in or about July 28, 2026, to August 5, 2026, the defendant possessed and distributed images depicting  a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct using his cellular phone.

Assistant United States Attorney Daynelle Álvarez Lora, from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case.

“Protecting children from abuse and exploitation is a right every child deserves. We are committed to finding those who prey on children, bringing them before the courts, and ensuring they are held accountable for the harm they cause,” said Héctor Ramírez Carbó, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Together with our federal, state, and local partners, we will continue to relentlessly investigate, identify, and prosecute child predators to protect our children and prevent future victims. We commend the HSI for its diligent and steadfast investigative work and support in this matter.”

“Every child deserves protection, and every adult has a role in providing it. The best defense against child sexual exploitation is an open, honest conversation with the children in your life,” said Yariel Ramos, Acting Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Juan. “Pay attention to changes in behavior, because they may signal that a child is being pressured or exploited, even by someone the family knows and trusts. HSI San Juan will continue to pursue those who prey on children and hold them accountable.”

If convicted, defendant Christian Cedeño Rodríguez faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to life; and Elvin Miranda Rivera faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to 20 years. Defendants convicted of these crimes also face, after serving their term of imprisonment, an additional mandatory supervised release term of 5 years up to life and would be required to register in the Sexual Offender Registry. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Department of Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the cases.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians.

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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