The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the launch of the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Crimes Task Force to investigate and prosecute violations of federal law harming the environment, wildlife and human health, and associated fraud, waste, and abuse in the region. The creation of the Task Force comes a year after the DOJ created an Office of Environmental Justice in its Environment and Natural Resources Division and is part of a larger strategy to engage federal agencies in the enforcement of civil and criminal environmental laws.