A team under President Trump’s intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard investigated Puerto Rico’s voting machines last spring, focusing on election system vulnerabilities.
Officials say the probe found no evidence of Venezuelan hacking, though it raised concerns about U.S. election security practices.
Sources familiar with the previously unreported operation confirmed that Gabbard’s office, as part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), coordinated with the FBI in Florida to review Puerto Rico’s electronic voting systems.
The investigation included taking a number of voting machines and data copies for forensic analysis. A spokesperson for Gabbard’s office emphasized that the move was “standard practice in forensics analysis” and focused on vulnerabilities rather than foreign interference.
“ODNI found extremely concerning cybersecurity and operational deployment practices that pose a significant risk to U.S. elections,” the spokesperson said.
No clear evidence of Venezuelan involvement
Although some Trump supporters speculated that Venezuela could have attempted to interfere, the investigation produced no evidence linking Venezuelan authorities to Puerto Rico’s elections.
Gabbard’s office denied any connection to Venezuela, noting that the operation’s purpose was to assess weaknesses in the voting systems. Sources familiar with the probe said it arose from ongoing post-2020 election concerns about voter fraud and election security, rather than confirmed foreign attacks.
Background
Puerto Rico’s elections have faced administration issues, including software flaws and reliance on vulnerable cellular technology, which could potentially allow hacking.
The operation involved U.S. national security officials, FBI agents, and government contractors working with the Puerto Rico U.S. Attorney’s office. According to ODNI, the collaboration included voluntary turnover of voting hardware and software for analysis.
Gabbard’s role in election investigations
Tulsi Gabbard recently drew attention for her appearance at an FBI raid of an election facility in Fulton County, Georgia, highlighting her active involvement in investigating election security. However, she was not physically present during the Puerto Rico operation, which her office coordinated remotely.
Current and former U.S. officials note that domestic election security is usually handled by law enforcement, not intelligence agencies, raising questions about ODNI’s involvement.
Pablo Jose Hernandez Rivera, a non-voting member of the U.S. House representing Puerto Rico, downplayed foreign interference concerns. He said local election irregularities are largely due to mismanagement and corruption, rather than external actors.
