Puerto Rico Lawmakers Demand Investigation into Alleged Drugs-for-Votes Scheme Linked to Trump Administration Interference

Puerto Rico is facing a political firestorm as lawmakers from both the island and Washington demand a full investigation into a drugs-for-votes scheme uncovered in the territory’s prison system. The scandal erupted after ProPublica exposed that a federal probe into a violent gang’s manipulation of inmate votes was abruptly halted after the 2024 election, with prosecutors reportedly told to exclude charges related to voting and political ties.

Representative Pablo José Hernández Rivera, Puerto Rico’s delegate in Congress, called on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee to join him in pushing for a congressional investigation. “The facts detailed by ProPublica cannot be ignored by any elected official,” Hernández Rivera said. His call was echoed locally by Rep. Héctor Ferrer Santiago, who introduced a resolution for Puerto Rico’s House Committee on Public Security to investigate the allegations, describing them as “serious.”

The gang at the heart of the probe, known as Group 31 or Los Tiburones, allegedly forced inmates—many addicted to drugs—to vote for now-Governor Jenniffer González-Colón or face violent retaliation and loss of drug access. Prosecutors had evidence that González-Colón communicated with a gang leader via WhatsApp during her primary campaign, but their investigation into potential political connections was stymied by supervisors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. Sources say that after President Trump took office, the probe was entirely abandoned.

González-Colón, a Republican and pro-statehood New Progressive Party member, has denied any wrongdoing and refused interviews with ProPublica. She insists she has “stood firmly against corruption” and dismissed the need for any investigation, calling the report baseless.

The controversy has divided Puerto Rican political leaders. The Puerto Rican Independence Party also demands an inquiry, warning of “severe implications” if partisan interference in prisons is confirmed. Meanwhile, Thomas Rivera Schatz, Senate president and González-Colón ally, initially supported an investigation but later dismissed the ProPublica report as lacking credibility and politically motivated.

The indictment filed in December 2024 charged 34 gang members with drug distribution, money laundering, and other crimes, but conspicuously left out the voting-related offenses prosecutors had been pursuing. The U.S. Attorney’s office, led by Trump appointee W. Stephen Muldrow, declined to comment on the ongoing cases beyond affirming their commitment to prosecuting corruption.

This case highlights a disturbing pattern of political interference and corruption under the Trump administration, undermining democratic processes in a U.S. territory. The calls for transparency and accountability are growing louder as evidence suggests that electoral manipulation may have been protected at the highest levels of federal oversight.

Only Clowns Are Orange will continue to monitor this developing story and push for full accountability in Puerto Rico’s justice system and beyond.