Cellphones sought in Puerto Rico as political crisis deepens

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A Puerto Rico judge issued search warrants for the cellphones of government officials involved in a crude online chat whose leak has set off a political crisis threatening to bring down the U.S. territory's governor.

One of the search warrants said government officials used the chat to transmit official and confidential information to private citizens in potential violation of ethics laws.

Kelvin Carrasco, a spokesman for the island's Justice Department, said Tuesday the warrants were approved overnight and issued to those who had not turned over their phones. He did not identify the officials and would not comment further.

The possibility some of the 12 men in the chat, including former and current government officials, could face legal trouble deepened the crisis around Gov. Ricardo Rossello.

One of the men who was part of the chat, Rossello confidant and chief of staff Ricardo Llerandi, announced his resignation Tuesday, saying he and his family have received threats.

"The last few days have been extremely difficult for everyone," he said. "At this historic crossroads, I need to put my family above everything."

For the past week and a half, protesters have taken to the streets in Puerto Rico's biggest wave of demonstrations in at least 15 years, demanding the governor step down in a furor set off by the release of an 889-page transcript showing Rossello participating in an obscenity-laden chat with top advisers and at least one lobbyist.

"If the people want him to resign, his duty as governor is to resign because we're the ones who choose," said Alexander Ortiz, an 18-year-old university student from Gurabo.

The chat participants talked about politics and government contracts and also insulted women and mocked constituents, including victims of Hurricane Maria.

Rossello sounded a conciliatory note in a brief statement Tuesday.

"When one side speaks legitimately, the other has the responsibility to listen carefully," he said. "The people are speaking, and I have to listen. These have been moments of complete reflection and of taking decisions based on the concerns of the people of Puerto Rico and of their best interests."

Rossello said from now on, he will talk only about government-related matters.

Chat participants who said they either met with justice officials or turned over their cellphones as requested last week include Llerandi; a former legal adviser to the governor, Alfonso Orona; and former Public Affairs Secretary Ramon Rosario.

The leaked chat has intensified long-smoldering anger over government corruption and mismanagement many blame for a 13-year recession and a severe debt crisis, which led to pension cuts and school closings. Many are also resentful over Puerto Rico's slow recovery from Maria, which devastated the island nearly two years ago and led to thousands of deaths.