TSA$10.0B
Caribbean Business
DACO Launches Statewide Inspection Blitz Across 400+ Retailers as 2026 Hurricane Season Begins
Goverment·Caribbean Business Staff··2 min read

DACO Launches Statewide Inspection Blitz Across 400+ Retailers as 2026 Hurricane Season Begins

San Juan — The Puerto Rico Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) launched Thursday a sweeping compliance operation covering more than 400 businesses across the island as the 2026 hurricane season officially gets underway.

“The purpose of this operation is to maintain active surveillance throughout Puerto Rico to ensure consumers have access to clear and accurate information about the products they need to prepare for any emergency,” said DACO Secretary Hiram Torres Montalvo.

Through June 6, inspectors from the agency’s five regional offices will visit supermarkets, hardware stores, pharmacies, department stores, gas stations, and specialty emergency supply retailers. Teams will verify compliance with applicable laws and regulations, product availability, labeling requirements, and pricing behavior on emergency-related goods.

Items under monitoring include bottled water, non-perishable food, batteries, flashlights, electric generators, propane gas, portable coolers, building materials, fuel containers, portable radios, first aid supplies, and cleaning products.

Torres Montalvo noted that no price freeze order is currently in effect, but said the agency will keep a close watch on market behavior. Inspection teams will document findings, advise merchants on their legal obligations, and address situations requiring immediate intervention.

“We want to send a clear message to both consumers and businesses: DACO is on the ground, inspecting and advising. Our commitment is to ensure transparent markets, protect consumer rights, and make sure businesses operate within the law,” Torres Montalvo added.

Consumers are encouraged to request proof of purchase, review store policies before completing transactions, and report irregularities or deceptive practices through DACO’s official channels.

Related Articles

Puerto Rico’s General Fund Collections Top $10.9 Billion Through April, Beating Projections by $590 Million
Goverment

Puerto Rico’s General Fund Collections Top $10.9 Billion Through April, Beating Projections by $590 Million

San Juan- “After completing a successful tax cycle, revenues at the close of April amount to $10,966.4 million, exceeding estimates through that date by $590 million,” Treasury Secretary Ángel Pantoja Rodríguez said in a written statement. April alone closed with net revenues of $1.945 billion, surpassing the monthly projection by $239.2 million, or 14.0%. Compared […]

Caribbean Business Staff
Oversight Board Gives Green Light to Permitting Overhaul and Minimum Wage Shift
Business

Oversight Board Gives Green Light to Permitting Overhaul and Minimum Wage Shift

In a pair of key legislative updates, the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) has given its preliminary blessing to two controversial legislative proposals. In letters sent on Thursday, June 4, 2026, to House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez, FOMB Executive Director Robert F. Mujica Jr. confirmed that both a sweeping overhaul of Puerto Rico’s […]

Eva Llorens
Financial Sector Unites Against Senate Bill 1103
Goverment

Financial Sector Unites Against Senate Bill 1103

Banks Say Measure Threatens Credit Access and Investor Confidence in Puerto Rico A controversial Senate measure that would rewrite Puerto Rico’s rules governing negotiable instruments has triggered near‑unanimous opposition from the island’s financial sector, which warns the proposal would make Puerto Rico the only U.S. jurisdiction to impose such restrictions—potentially chilling investment and constraining access […]

Caribbean Business Staff