SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 28, 2026, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an 8-count indictment charging Jackeline Correa-Vázquez, 45 years old, with tampering with fentanyl, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, beginning on or about a date unknown but not later than March 28, 2023, defendant Jackeline Correa-Vázquez was licensed by the Puerto Rico Board of Nursing, Department of Health, as an Advanced Practice Nurse with a Clinical Concentration in Anesthesia. By virtue of her employment and position of trust within the medical field, Jackeline Correa-Vázquez engaged in a scheme where she repeatedly accessed and illegally obtained vials of Fentanyl Citrate, entrusted for legitimate patient care, tampered with those vials by removing the Fentanyl Citrate, and replacing it with clear liquid substances intended to conceal the theft. Through these acts, Correa-Vázquez abused her professional position, jeopardized patient safety, and falsified the integrity of controlled substances maintained by her employers.
“The defendant betrayed the trust of patients and her employers by tampering with critical medicine,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Today’s charges reflect the seriousness of these offenses and should make clear that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute anyone who endangers the safety of patients seeking medical treatment.”
“The people of Puerto Rico place their trust in our healthcare institutions during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. When that trust is violated, the DEA will act decisively,” said Michael Mayer, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Caribbean Division. “This investigation demonstrates our commitment to protecting patients, safeguarding the integrity of controlled substances, and holding accountable anyone who abuses a position of trust for personal gain. Through our Fentanyl Free America initiative and the strong partnerships we maintain with healthcare providers and law enforcement agencies, we will continue to pursue those who jeopardize public safety and undermine confidence in our medical system.”
“The FDA oversees the U.S. drug supply to ensure that it is safe and effective, and those who knowingly tamper with medicines put patients’ health at risk,” added Acting Special Agent in Charge Juan Berríos, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “The FDA will continue to hold accountable those who compromise the safety and security of our healthcare system.”
Correa-Vázquez is charged with four counts of tampering with consumer products in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1365(a), which have a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. She is also charged with four counts of acquiring or obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, subterfuge in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(a)(3) which have a maximum penalty of four years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The defendant is scheduled for her initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos Vega of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Puerto Rico Police Department, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Puerto Rico Department of Health are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Myriam Y. Fernández-González, Chief of the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering & Transnational Organized Crime Section, and AUSA María L. Montañez-Concepción, Deputy Chief of Asset Recovery, Money Laundering & Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Puerto Rico — U.S. Department of Justice press release.