U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico
Recent News About U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico
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Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus was sentenced on January 28, 2026, to more than eight years in federal prison for leading a multi-million dollar scheme to obtain COVID-19 relief funds through fraud.
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Dominican authorities have extradited Esteffani José Vasquez-Amarante, also known as “Ethian” or “Baby,” to the United States to face charges of drug trafficking and money laundering in the District of Puerto Rico.
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On January 7, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Jeremy Ruiz-Rosario, age 22, of Trujillo Alto, for two carjackings that took place in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
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The United States Department of Justice, together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, has launched a new educational outreach initiative called Breaking the Cycle to address...
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Eight women, including an employee of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor (PRDOL), have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain $619,923 in unemployment compensation and make kickback...
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Two men were arrested in Puerto Rico on December 4, 2025, on federal child exploitation charges following investigations by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce.
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Three individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Puerto Rico on charges of bribery and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana through the U.S. Postal Service.
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A federal grand jury has indicted three officers from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau on charges including civil rights violations, conspiracy to falsify records, falsification of records, and making false statements to federal agents.
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Two men from Manatí, Puerto Rico, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly conspiring to traffic suboxone and introducing contraband into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo.
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On November 21, 2025, Elsa Santiago-Colón, an employee of the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Departamento de Hacienda), pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
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Two municipal police officers from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to drug trafficking.
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Colombian national Jose Orlando Buitrago-Rodríguez, also known as “Tito el Borracho,” has been extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking charges in the District of Puerto Rico.
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A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico has indicted Luz Maria Peña Lopez, 55, and her daughter, Tatiana Correa Peña, 36, both of Carolina, on charges of forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor.
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A federal grand jury has charged 14 individuals linked to the transnational criminal organization known as "La V" with drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and money laundering.
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On September 22, 2025, a federal grand jury in Puerto Rico indicted 43 alleged members of the gang known as Los Vira’o on charges including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession and distribution of...
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A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico has indicted Jan Robert Ayala De Jesús, a 27-year-old resident of Humacao, on charges related to child exploitation.
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A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico has indicted Julio Figueroa-Álvarez, a 32-year-old resident of Toa Baja, on charges related to sex trafficking of children and coercion and enticement of a minor.
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A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico has indicted 49 alleged gang members from Bayamón on charges related to drug trafficking and firearms violations.
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Fourteen individuals from Arroyo, Puerto Rico, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
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Joseph Cruz-Santiago, a 32-year-old resident of Caguas, Puerto Rico, was arrested on September 2, 2025, by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.