Toa Baja Man Arrested After Being Indicted for Sex Trafficking of Children in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — On September 10, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Julio Figueroa-Álvarez, a 32-year-old man from Toa Baja with sex trafficking of children and coercion and enticement of a minor. The defendant was arrested today by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.

“Predators who target and coerce the vulnerable in our jurisdiction will face appropriately serious sanctions under federal law. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to seek justice to vindicate the rights of human trafficking victims,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting victims and ensuring that those responsible for such vicious crimes face the full weight of the law.”

“This individual, a registered sex offender, was arrested in 2014 on charges of sexual exploitation of minors and convicted in 2016 to serve a ten-year sentence. HSI is now arresting him for the second time in less than ten years following his conviction. Child predators remain determined to exploit minors, but we are equally determined to stop them and bring them to justice,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge. “We urge the community to take action before law enforcement becomes involved. Protecting our children requires vigilance and cooperation. Be alert and proactive; engaging in sexual acts with a minor is illegal, and when such heinous acts are committed in exchange for something of value, it constitutes a federal crime. Sex trafficking is real; it’s happening in our island too often. HSI is determined to hold accountable those who believe they can operate above the law; we will arrest them as many times as necessary. Help us keep our children safe and protected.”

According to court documents, between December 2024 and February 2025, Julio Figueroa-Álvarez knowingly and willfully recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a 13-year-old male minor to engage in a commercial sex act. Figueroa-Álvarez is also accused with using a cellular phone, internet instant messaging services, and social media to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 13-year-old male minor to engage in prostitution or any sexual activity. 

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; 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 would 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 Daynelle Álvarez Lora, 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.

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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