Luis Enrique Rodriguez Sanchez, Wetlands Destruction, Puerto Rico 2020
Two Men Indicted for Wetlands Destruction in Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico - Luis Enrique Rodriguez Sanchez and Pedro Luis Bones Torres have been charged with violating the Clean Water Act and Rivers and Harbors Act.
According to court documents, from approximately January 2020 through October 2022, Rodriguez Sanchez and Bones Torres knowingly discharged fill material from excavation and earth moving equipment into the wetlands and waters of the United States in the area of the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR) and Las Mareas community of Salinas, Puerto Rico.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Puerto Rico is committed to enforcing federal environmental protection laws and to holding violators responsible for the harm that they cause, said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. The unpermitted construction, pollution, and fill within the protected waters of the United States poses flooding and hurricane mitigation concerns for surrounding communities.
The Clean Water Act was enacted by Congress in 1972 to protect and maintain the integrity of the waters of the United States. The Clean Water Act's main purpose is to ensure the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters.
Defendant:
Luis Enrique Rodriguez Sanchez
Charges:
Violating the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act
Location:
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Date:
January 2020 through October 2022
Status:
Indicted
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Environmental Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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