Yesterday, February 10, 2006 FBI agents barged into the residencies of 5 known pro-independence activists with search warrants. They did not let the owners of the residencies to stay and see what the FBI officials were taking. The FBI claims that this was a preventive strike to avoid a supposed terrorist plan by people belonging to the “Macheteros”. They took computers, files, discs, CDs, DVDs. They left their homes a mess. In addition to the 5 residencies they also went to the office of one of the activists. All of these activists are known for their participation in the pro-independence movement in Puerto Rico, two of them are religious community organizers and all are close to different workers union. The FBI also sprayed members of the media with pepper spray and pushed them away. People showed up to the different sited where the FBI was carrying out the operative in order to demonstrate their solidarity and be witnesses to this abuse by the imperial forces on our island. This operative by the FBI is a continuation of the repression from September 23rd, when they shot Filiberto Ojeda Rios and let him bleed to death in his home in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico. We suspect that this is just the beginning of the mass repression against Puerto Rican activists. The FBI took all sorts of documents and there is concern that they will plant evidence in the materials they have taken in order to justify future arrests of activists on the island. People demonstrated their outrage with the situation last night in front the federal court in the metro area of Puerto Rico. Different pro-independence leaders have stated that this supposed terrorist plan the FBI is talking about is preposterous. These activists are community organizers, professors at the university and would not harm any of their fellow compatriots. This is clear repression and the FBI is attempting to wave the flag of the “Patriot Act” in order to continue its repression and persecution of opposing ideologies on the island. We ask the international community to be aware of the situation in Puerto Rico and to denounce it.