Federal and local lawmakers in Puerto Rico are calling for investigations after ProPublica reported that a federal probe into an alleged drugs-for-votes scheme in the territory's prisons was halted following President Donald Trump's 2024 election victory. The report, published Tuesday, detailed how prosecutors had uncovered evidence of gang members forcing inmates to vote for Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón or face beatings and loss of drug access.
What the Left Is Saying
Puerto Rico's representative in Congress, Pablo José Hernández Rivera, called on U.S. House Judiciary Committee members to join him in pushing for a congressional probe into the matter. "The report published today by ProPublica details facts that no elected official — whether in Puerto Rico or in Washington — can ignore," he said in a statement in Spanish.
Rep. Héctor Ferrer Santiago of the Popular Democratic Party introduced a resolution in Puerto Rico's House ordering its Committee on Public Security to investigate, calling the allegations "serious!" and stating the body has "an inescapable duty to investigate." Leaders of the Puerto Rican Independence Party also called for an investigation, with Sen. María de Lourdes Santiago saying questions about partisan intervention in prison spaces should not be ignored given their "severe implications."
What the Right Is Saying
González-Colón, a Republican and member of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, denied any wrongdoing. "I categorically reject any attempt to link me to unlawful conduct," she wrote in a statement, adding that she has "stood firmly against corruption" throughout her career. She told local news outlets Wednesday: "There is nothing here... I have absolutely nothing to do with the things that are pointed out there, much less my campaign."
Thomas Rivera Schatz, president of the Puerto Rico Senate and a member of González-Colón's party, initially said government officials should investigate thoroughly. But at a press conference Thursday, he backtracked, saying: "I do not lend it any credibility whatsoever... It appears to follow a specific editorial line — one directed against the Republican Party and against Trump."
What the Numbers Show
An indictment filed in December 2024 charged 34 members of gang Group 31 (Los Tiburones) with drug distribution resulting in at least four overdose deaths, money laundering, and firearm possession. The indictment alleged the gang coordinated with government officials "for the purpose of reducing prison sentences" and mandated inmates' political affiliations and voting choices, but included no charges related to the vote-buying scheme itself.
Sources told ProPublica prosecutors had evidence that González-Colón spoke with a gang leader via WhatsApp during her primary campaign. Prosecutors were initially instructed by supervisors in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Puerto Rico to exclude voting-related charges against inmates and prison staff after Trump's November 2024 election victory, then told to abandon the probe into potential political ties entirely once Trump took office.
The Bottom Line
González-Colón has not been charged with any crime related to this matter. Both federal and territorial investigations are now being requested, though no formal probes have commenced. ProPublica reports that four sources with knowledge of the investigation described how prosecutors were instructed to limit their work following the 2024 election results. What happens next will depend on whether congressional or Department of Justice officials move forward with inquiries into what occurred during the prosecution effort.