In Puerto Rico, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has acknowledged that armed federal agents entered a warehouse Saturday operated by PREPA—the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority—where they seized a massive amount of rebuilding materials. A spokesperson for the Army Corps told The Intercept that PREPA “lacked transparency in inventory and accountability” in its rebuilding operations, prompting federal officials to seize supplies and begin distributing them to contractors. About half of Puerto Ricans still have no electric power 114 days after Hurricane Maria made landfall, devastating the island. Meanwhile, hospitals around the U.S. are reporting acute shortages of IV drip bags, just as the flu season reaches its peak, after a major factory in Puerto Rico that produces the medical devices was badly damaged by the hurricane.
Puerto Rico: Armed U.S. Agents Seize Materials from Public Power Company
HeadlineJan 12, 2018