On Thursday, October 8, 2026, the Department of Justice, led by Secretary Lourdes L. Gómez Torres, presented criminal charges against eight inmates at Bayamón correctional institutions for crimes related to smuggling and controlled substances. The operation, carried out in coordination with the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation and the Puerto Rico Police, resulted from investigations into incidents that occurred between March and September 2026 at Bayamón 501 and Bayamón 705 institutions.
The defendants, including Wilfredo Berríos Rojas, Isaac Xavier Ayala Poten, and five others, were charged with possession and introduction of objects into a penal establishment and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Judges Rafael Pérez Quiñones and Marie Arnais Cintrón Alvarado found probable cause for all the alleged crimes and set a global bail of $295,000.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 20, 2026. Gómez Torres stated that inmates have an obligation to respect the law and established norms, and that the authorities will not allow delinquent conduct or the introduction of prohibited objects or substances in correctional facilities.