Puerto Rico doctor among 4 accused in prison contraband case

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A doctor and three corrections officers in Puerto Rico have been accused of smuggling cocaine and cellphones into the U.S. territory’s prisons.

Justice Secretary Wanda Vazquez said Tuesday that the suspects charged inmates anywhere from $400 to $900 for the contraband.

The officers worked in prisons in the coastal towns of Aguadilla and Arecibo, while the doctor worked at the Correctional Medical Center in Bayamon, near the capital of San Juan.

Dr. Narciso Reyes is being held on a $1.3 million bond and the officers on a $350,000 bond each. It was not immediately clear if they had attorneys.

Reyes was previously convicted of Medicare fraud in an unrelated federal case. Local authorities say they were unaware of that case.