In May 2025, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), under Tulsi Gabbard's leadership, embarked on a relatively obscure investigation targeting Puerto Rico’s electronic voting machines. This probe was initiated amid circulating but unsubstantiated allegations that Venezuela’s government might have attempted to infiltrate the territory’s voting systems. According to six current and former U.S. officials, interviewed in 2026, the investigation was launched with the intent to cooperate closely with the FBI to evaluate these claims of foreign interference.
The officials disclosed that the joint effort ultimately did not uncover definitive proof that Venezuelan entities had compromised Puerto Rico's election infrastructure. Notably, Gabbard’s office acknowledged the investigation but downplayed the notion that it was mainly focused on Venezuelan interference. Instead, the office emphasized the operation’s aim was to assess systemic cybersecurity vulnerabilities within Puerto Rico’s voting setup.
During the investigation, a number of electronic voting machines along with copies of election-related data were secured and placed under federal custody. This collection process was described by the ODNI as a 'standard practice in forensics analysis.' The outcome of the federal assessment illuminated a concerning set of cybersecurity and operational deployment deficiencies, which were characterized as posing substantial risks to the integrity of U.S. elections.
Officials interviewed in connection with the matter noted that the Puerto Rico case appears to be part of a larger pattern of activities orchestrated by individuals aligned with former President Donald Trump. These initiatives continue to emphasize and pursue allegations of election fraud originating from his 2020 defeat, extending into the current period of his second term. This continuity highlights ongoing tensions and divisions regarding election legitimacy claims.
The investigation in Puerto Rico involved cooperation with an FBI field office based in Florida, featuring a collective of national security officials, federal law enforcement personnel, and private contractors. Typically, domestic election cybersecurity matters fall within the purview of law enforcement agencies and respective state governments, rather than the intelligence community. Experts familiar with such delineations have expressed concern that this case exemplifies a blurring of traditional investigative boundaries potentially attributable to Gabbard’s tenure.
Previously, Gabbard's direct involvement in domestic election probes had drawn bipartisan scrutiny. For instance, her participation in an FBI raid on an election-related warehouse located in Fulton County, Georgia, connected to a separate investigation into Trump's contested 2020 election loss there, sparked debates over whether ODNI is exceeding its jurisdiction in sensitive domestic issues.
Sources familiar with the Puerto Rico inquiry indicated that the spark for the investigation was the disputed claim that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government may have manipulated the voting systems on the island. While this allegation granted the ODNI clear authority to investigate given its mandate over foreign intelligence and national security, no publicly verified evidence has emerged to confirm Maduro’s government engaged in such activities.
Complicating the regional political landscape, Nicolás Maduro, who denies accusations of running a narcotics trafficking enterprise from the U.S., was apprehended in Caracas by American forces in early 2025 and subsequently brought to New York to face charges, thus heightening tensions within the region.
The inquiry also adds nuance to the broader appraisal of Tulsi Gabbard’s leadership of the U.S. intelligence apparatus. Her term has already been marked by significant internal reforms, including aggressive cuts to the ODNI staff and budget, which she justified as necessary to address organizational bloat, inefficiency, and vulnerabilities to information leaks.
Though outcomes of the Puerto Rico investigation did not corroborate claims of Venezuelan hacking, the cybersecurity deficiencies identified underscore ongoing challenges to securing electoral infrastructure in U.S. territories. The scope of the probe and its alignment with politically charged fraud narratives have provoked discussion about appropriate roles and boundaries among federal agencies tasked with safeguarding election integrity.