The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has issued a 'cease and desist' order to the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) and its secretary, Waldemar Quiles Pérez.
The order is due to the DNER’s unauthorized deposit of fill and dredging at the mouth of the Río Grande de Loíza. According to a July 8 letter from USACE, these activities continued despite prior conversations and training sessions provided by USACE to DNER personnel.
The USACE had previously informed DNER about the need for federal authorization for such activities.