A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico indicts three men on environmental crimes

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in Puerto Rico say three men have been indicted as part of an ongoing federal investigation into environmental crimes committed on protected land in the island’s southern coastal region. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday that two of the men are accused of dumping fill material into the waters and wetlands of the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Salinas from June 2018 to December 2023. The men operated and managed a nearby resort that also served as a short-term rental. A third man was charged with discharging fill material into the wetlands and building an unauthorized boat dock. He also operated a guest house nearby.