Puerto Rican police taken in mass arrest
Officers accused of aiding traffickers
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Hundreds of FBI agents flew into Puerto Rico to round up dozens of police officers accused of aiding drug traffickers Wednesday – one of the darkest days yet for a force tarnished by recent allegations of brutality, discrimination and incompetence.
In predawn raids, about 1,000 federal agents swept up about 130 people, including nearly 90 law enforcement officers accused of providing security to drug dealers on a U.S. territory where police are struggling to curb spiraling crime and rampant drug smuggling.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said it was the largest police corruption investigation in the FBI’s history.
The suspects include a dozen prison guards, two soldiers in the U.S. Army, three National Guard soldiers and civilians.
The indictments allege law enforcement officers provided security for drug deals in exchange for payments ranging from $500 to $4,500, Holder said.
FBI agents conducted 125 undercover drug transactions between July 2008 and September 2010 that formed the basis of the indictment, he said.
The arrests brought shock and dismay to the island as the governor and other local officials scrambled to denounce the alleged corruption. Officers have been charged with crimes in the past, including providing security to drug traffickers, but nothing on this scale.