Puerto Rico Lawmakers Demand Probe Into Drugs-for-Votes Scandal Suppressed After 2024 Election

Puerto Rico is facing a political firestorm after ProPublica uncovered that a federal investigation into a prison-based drugs-for-votes scheme was abruptly halted following the 2024 elections. The probe had uncovered disturbing evidence that a violent gang, known as Group 31 or Los Tiburones, coerced inmates to vote for now-Governor Jenniffer González-Colón or face brutal retaliation — including beatings and denial of drugs.

The investigation reportedly found potential links between González-Colón’s campaign and gang leaders, including WhatsApp communications during the primary season. Yet, just days after Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential victory, prosecutors were ordered by supervisors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico to drop voting-related charges and eventually to abandon the inquiry into political connections altogether.

Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner in Congress, Pablo José Hernández Rivera, called on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee to launch a congressional probe, calling the ProPublica report “facts that no elected official can ignore.” Meanwhile, local lawmakers, including Rep. Héctor Ferrer Santiago, have introduced resolutions demanding investigations by the territory’s House Committee on Public Security.

González-Colón, a Republican and pro-statehood New Progressive Party member, denies any wrongdoing and rejects “any attempt to link me to unlawful conduct.” She claims her campaign engaged broadly with all sectors, including families of incarcerated individuals, but has not addressed direct communication with gang leaders.

The Puerto Rican Independence Party also demands scrutiny, warning of the “severe implications” of partisan interference in prisons. Yet, Thomas Rivera Schatz, president of the Puerto Rico Senate and González-Colón’s party member, dismissed the report as lacking credibility and motivated by an anti-Republican agenda.

The indictment filed in December 2024 charged 34 gang members with drug distribution, money laundering, and firearms offenses but conspicuously excluded any voting-related charges. Sources familiar with the investigation say prosecutors had gathered strong evidence before being told to halt their work on political ties.

W. Stephen Muldrow, the U.S. attorney for Puerto Rico appointed by Trump, declined to comment on ongoing cases but emphasized that charging corrupt officials remains a priority.

This scandal exposes yet another layer of political manipulation and corruption within the Trump administration’s sphere of influence, highlighting how federal power was allegedly used to shield allies from accountability. For Puerto Rico and the broader fight against authoritarian overreach, the stakes could not be higher.