A new report indicates that nearly one million water bottles were dropped off for delivery at an airport in Puerto Rico over a year ago, but were never distributed by local authorities.
A photographer working for a local police precinct noticed the water still abandoned on a runway and snapped aerial photos. The massive heap of bottled water looks like a sea unto itself, with a large blue tarp partially covering a majority of the stockpile.
The photographer, Abdiel Santana, shared the images on social media, reporting that “Although you don’t believe it … almost a million boxes of water that were never delivered to the village … in front of hurricane Maria’s emergency.”
CBS News correspondent David Begnaud confirmed the findings with FEMA, who indicated the bottled water was delivered to a runway in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, meant to be delivered to locals in the area.
BREAKING: What may be millions of water bottles. meant for victims of Hurricane Maria, have been sitting on a runway in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, since last year, according to @FEMA, which confirmed the news to me, late tonight, after pictures, posted today on social media, went viral. pic.twitter.com/jidGJAvCyJ
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) September 12, 2018
“The water was kept in an area that was pretty hard-hit during the storm and could have used all the water they could have gotten,” Begnaud reported.
He added that the water had been turned over to the central government in Puerto Rico, according to FEMA representatives. It is believed to have been delivered to the General Services Administration (GSA) which has an office in San Juan, just over 30 miles from Ceiba.
More Details pic.twitter.com/jyPGRqiIy3
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) September 12, 2018
Chef José Andrés, who was widely praised for his efforts to help cook and distribute food after the hurricane claims he and his crew knew about the water, but were told it couldn’t be used and were forced to buy their own.
“My teams … knew about it but first they will say no we can not use them, months later water was no good for human consumption,” Andrés claimed.
He demanded “an official independent investigation” by the governor of Puerto Rico.
The shocking discovery comes amidst a spat between President Trump, who believes his administration did a far better job of handling the disaster than has been reported, and the Mayor of San Juan, whose city is home to one GSA office and who believes the President is to blame for a shoddy response.
We got A Pluses for our recent hurricane work in Texas and Florida (and did an unappreciated great job in Puerto Rico, even though an inaccessible island with very poor electricity and a totally incompetent Mayor of San Juan). We are ready for the big one that is coming!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2018
Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz responded, “Success? Federal response according to Trump in Puerto Rico a success? If he thinks the death of 3,000 people [is] a success God help us all.”
The images above certainly bolster Trump’s assertions and the onus is on Cruz to figure out who gave the stand down order on water distribution. RELATED: Anti-Trump Mayor Under FBI Investigation for Corruption
A CNBC report in October of 2017 shows President Trump insisting that water was being delivered to the island but it wasn’t being dispersed to the people who needed it most by the local government.
Trump, according to the report, “said that food and water had been brought to Puerto Rico, but it wasn’t being distributed by local people.”
Is this a repeat of Hurricane Katrina when Democrat lawmakers kept resources from the people, allowing the media to destroy Bush for not doing his part?
Perhaps had she spent less time posing for cameras with her “nasty” woman t-shirt, she could have helped look into where nearly one million bottles of water went after it was delivered.