Puerto Rico Official Halts Probe Into Governor's In-Laws' Alleged Illegal Construction

The natural resources secretary's decision to shelve the investigation has drawn criticism from environmentalists and legal experts, raising concerns over environmental protections.

• Puerto Rico’s new natural resources secretary, Waldemar Quiles, has ended an investigation into alleged illegal construction by Governor Jenniffer González's in-laws in a protected nature reserve.
• The halted investigation focused on accusations that González’s in-laws illegally cut mangroves and expanded a dock at their property in La Parguera, a bioluminescent bay designated a natural reserve in 1979.
• Environmentalists and legal experts criticized the move, calling it illegal and warning it could set a precedent that undermines environmental protections across the island.
• Quiles’s administrative order also seeks to legalize homes in La Parguera through a recurring fee, a decision opponents argue bypasses required legal procedures for public domain assets.
• The Puerto Rican Senate has requested Quiles to explain the order, as critics allege it benefits the governor’s family and weakens accountability for illegal developments.

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