DOJ Killed Puerto Rico Drugs-for-Votes Probe After Trump’s Win

Federal prosecutors investigating a prison gang’s scheme to trade drugs for votes in Puerto Rico abruptly dropped election fraud charges shortly after Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential win, according to a detailed ProPublica report reviewed by Only Clowns Are Orange.

The case initially appeared to be a straightforward drug smuggling and distribution bust inside Puerto Rico’s prisons. But investigators uncovered a disturbing twist: the gang Los Tiburones, also known as Group 31, was coercing addicted inmates to vote for Republican Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón by threatening to withhold drugs or use violence. Corrections staff reportedly turned a blind eye, enabling the operation.

Puerto Rico is one of the few U.S. jurisdictions where inmates can legally vote in local elections. Offering money or gifts to influence votes is a felony, punishable by hefty fines and prison time. Investigators had gathered compelling evidence linking the gang’s vote-buying to González-Colón’s campaign, and federal prosecutors were preparing indictments that included voting-related charges.

But days after Trump’s election victory and González-Colón’s gubernatorial win in November 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico — led by Trump appointee W. Stephen Muldrow — ordered prosecutors to exclude all voting-related counts and drop charges against prison staff involved. The indictment filed in December 2024 charged 34 inmates and associates with drug distribution, money laundering, and firearms offenses but omitted any election fraud allegations.

Lead prosecutor Jorge Matos was reportedly told by supervisors to halt the investigation entirely after Trump took office. This pivot stunned those involved, especially given Trump’s public focus on cracking down on drug trafficking and “election integrity” in early 2025.

The timing and decision have fueled suspicions of political interference. Trump personally congratulated González-Colón on her victory and supported erecting a statue of him in Puerto Rico’s Capitol. González-Colón has never been charged and declined to comment on the investigation.

The U.S. Attorney’s office insists it pursues public corruption cases aggressively when evidence warrants it, but the vote-buying probe remains sidelined. A magistrate judge’s 2025 court remarks hinted at a “white-collar investigation involving the Governor,” which the office denied.

This episode exposes a stark contradiction: an administration claiming to fight election fraud while suppressing an investigation into a clear case of votes bought with drugs inside a prison. It raises urgent questions about whether political loyalty trumped justice, undermining democratic integrity in a U.S. territory.

Only Clowns Are Orange will continue tracking this case and other abuses of power linked to the Trump era. Democracy demands accountability — especially when it’s inconvenient for those in power.