Five Puerto Rico and mainland House members have asked the DOJ inspector general to examine why a federal probe into a Puerto Rican prison “drugs-for-votes” scheme was dropped after the 2024 elections, including allegations that prosecutors were told to stop p
When the federal prison case that grew out of the alleged “drugs-for-votes” scheme in Puerto Rico was still being actively built. it reached a point prosecutors couldn’t get past. After the 2024 elections. investigators were reportedly instructed to pull back from the very voting-related charges they had been pursuing and then—after President Donald Trump took office—to abandon the line of inquiry into potential political involvement entirely.
Now, lawmakers want the Department of Justice’s watchdog to explain that turn.
In a May 20 letter. Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera and four other House members asked the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General to investigate why the federal probe was abandoned after the 2024 elections. The letter argued that “credible allegations of election fraud uncovered through federal investigative work warrant serious scrutiny and transparent explanation.” It also said public confidence in democratic institutions depends on handling such claims consistently. “regardless of the political actors involved.”.
The letter was signed by Hernández Rivera. a Democrat and member of Puerto Rico’s Popular Democratic Party. along with Rep. Robert Garcia of California, Rep. Nydia Velázquez of New York, Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York, and Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García of Illinois. Garcia is the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee; Velázquez is from the House; Espaillat is chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; and Jesús “Chuy” García is a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Their request followed a ProPublica investigation published earlier this month describing how prosecutors uncovered a drugs-for-votes scheme run by a violent gang in Puerto Rican prisons. That investigation also said prosecutors were moving toward determining whether now-Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón or her campaign were involved.
The account turned on what prosecutors were told at key moments. In the days after Trump’s election in 2024. prosecutors preparing an indictment were reportedly told 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. Then, once Trump took office, prosecutors were reportedly told to abandon the probe into potential political ties entirely.
In their letter. the lawmakers pressed the inspector general to examine the DOJ’s decision not to pursue charges related to election fraud “despite reported findings and evidence.” They argued that the failure to investigate further contradicts the Trump administration’s repeated emphasis on prioritizing election integrity and election security as federal enforcement priorities. The letter also points to the administration’s stated stance that drug traffickers are threats to public safety and to democratic institutions.
Hernández Rivera initially sought a House Judiciary Committee investigation, then decided the inspector general’s office was the better route.
“This has always been about following the facts and ensuring there is accountability. ” Hernández Rivera said in an email to ProPublica. “Given the concerns raised about the DOJ’s handling of the investigation and prosecutorial decisions. we believe an Inspector General review is the appropriate mechanism to independently examine what occurred and whether standards were applied consistently.”.
The letter was addressed to Don Berthiaume, who had been serving as acting inspector general and has been nominated for the position. With his confirmation pending, William Blier, the deputy inspector general, is leading the office.
The inspector general’s office has jurisdiction over misconduct by Department of Justice employees. including the Bureau of Prisons. the Federal Bureau of Investigation. and the Drug Enforcement Administration. But it does not oversee allegations of attorney misconduct; those are handled by the Office of Professional Responsibility unless the allegations include criminal behavior. The inspector general’s office declined to comment on the letter.
González-Colón. a longtime Republican and a member of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party. has declined repeated requests for interviews by ProPublica. She has denied wrongdoing and said she “has stood firmly against corruption” throughout her career and political campaigns. adding. “I categorically reject any attempt to link me to unlawful conduct.” She also told local news outlets that she didn’t think any investigation into the matter is warranted. González-Colón has not been charged with any crime.
The underlying criminal case dates back to an indictment filed in December 2024, while Joe Biden was still president. That indictment charged 34 members of a gang known as Group 31 or Los Tiburones, along with associates. Prosecutors alleged crimes including drug distribution resulting in at least four overdose deaths. The indictment also claimed the gang connected with government officials “for the purpose of reducing prison sentences” and told inmates “who to vote for in primary and general elections.” Yet it included no charges related to the drugs-for-votes scheme.
ProPublica’s investigation also described evidence the case was reaching beyond the prison walls. Sources familiar with the investigation said gang leaders forced inmates to vote for González-Colón or face brutal beatings. or be cut off from the drugs they were addicted to. Prosecutors said they had evidence that González-Colón spoke with one of the prison gang leaders on WhatsApp during the primary campaign and were pursuing other potential ties—until they were told not to look any further.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, for the District of Puerto Rico, said his office does not comment on open cases. While a couple of defendants have made plea agreements, most cases are still pending. A spokesperson for Muldrow’s office. Lymarie Llovet-Ayala. told ProPublica in a previous email that charging corrupt public officials “has always been and remains a top priority” of the office.
The question now is whether an abandoned investigation will be accounted for, and how. For Hernández Rivera and the four lawmakers joining him. the aim is not to argue the allegations into existence—it’s to demand an explanation for what prosecutors were reportedly told to stop doing after the 2024 elections.
DOJ inspector general Office of the Inspector General Puerto Rico drugs-for-votes election fraud Group 31 Los Tiburones Jenniffer González-Colón ProPublica House Oversight Committee House Judiciary Committee election integrity
So they just… stopped it after the election? Sounds like politics.
I don’t even get it because it says Puerto Rico prison drugs-for-votes and then “abandoned”?? Like who decided to pull back, the DOJ or the prison? This is one of those stories where it’s hard to tell what’s fact.
Wait, so Trump took office and then they abandoned the case, but also it says prosecutors couldn’t get past a point where the prison case was still being built? That means it was never strong to begin with right? Or am I reading it backwards.
Inspector General “explain the turn” like they’re gonna tell the whole truth lol. Also if it’s about election fraud allegations, why is it still connected to a prison case? Seems like everybody’s blaming everybody and nothing actually happens. I’m Puerto Rican and it’s exhausting watching this get brushed off.