The top FBI official in Puerto Rico said the island is facing a “crisis of violence” and has asked the agency for more personnel and resources from the U.S. mainland.
In addition to ongoing recovery efforts from the devastation caused by hurricanes Maria and Irma, and a struggling economy, Puerto Rico is experiencing a heightened wave of violence and crime primarily linked to gang activity and drug trafficking. Local authorities have struggled to curb the mounting insecurity.
Recent Gang activity caught on video:
On Wednesday, the island’s Resident Commissioner and non-voting member of Congress Jenniffer González asked the Homeland Security and Justice departments to increase their “law enforcement capabilities and personnel” in Puerto Rico to address a “sense of impunity and lawfulness” among the approximately 3.2 million U.S. citizens in the territory.
She cited “high levels of absenteeism” among the island’s police force and FBI statistics that show Puerto Rico has one of the highest crime rates in the U.S. According to FBI figures, the murder rate on the island in 2017 was about 20 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Read More>>
