Roundup of Law Enforcement Officers in Puerto Rico
HARRIS: New details about a massive sweep of law enforcement officers in a drug trafficking case unfolding in Puerto Rico right now. Attorney General Eric Holder calling it -- listen to this -- the largest police corruption investigation in the history -- in the history of the FBI? Senior Latin America Affairs Editor Rafael Romo joining us now. Share more of what you're learning about this and what the attorney general had to say.</s>RAFAEL ROMO, SENIOR LATIN AMERICA AFFAIRS EDITOR: No small change, Tony, especially when you think about the fact that the FBI has a 102-year history.</s>HARRIS: Yes!</s>ROMO: And so we are talking about the arrest of 133 people in the island of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. More than 90 of them are police officers. Those entrusted with protecting and serving their people have been arrested, and the charges are all related to drug trafficking. We also understand, according to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, that two U.S. Army personnel are involved in this operation. The investigation lasted two years. It just ended, but they say that it's ongoing. Seven hundred and fifty FBI personnel were flown into Puerto Rico to participate in this investigation. And so it's very much an ongoing situation at this point.</s>HARRIS: OK. Now, there was a briefing last hour, correct, from the attorney general? Anything in that that we should listen to?</s>ROMO: Exactly. I wanted to point out a statement that Attorney General Holder said about what this means in the scope of drug trafficking in the area. Let's hear what he had to say.</s>ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Now, without question, today's arrests will disrupt drug trafficking operations in Puerto Rico and help to strengthen law enforcement operations across and beyond the island. To the people of Puerto Rico, let me say this -- as you continue your fight against drug trafficking, violent crime and corruption, we will continue to stand with you.</s>ROMO: Now, this is very important, Tony, because when we talk about disrupting the drug trafficking operations not only in Puerto Rico, but in the region --</s>HARRIS: Right.</s>ROMO: -- Puerto Rico has long been a transit point for drugs from South America. And as the war on drugs in Mexico gets tougher, Puerto Rico has become the chosen point of the destination for drug cartels to send their drugs into the United States. So this is very significant. And just think about it, 133 people being arrested today, and this is still ongoing.</s>HARRIS: I want more details on this. I want to know how this played out in practice, but that's reporting for another time. Rafael, appreciate it. Thank you.</s>ROMO: Absolutely.</s>HARRIS: A major First Amendment case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court today. When does speech some say is vile and inappropriate for the time and place get First Amendment protection? The case involves anti-gay protests by church members outside funerals of U.S. service members. They were outside the Supreme Court today as the justices heard oral arguments inside. CNN's Kate Bolduan looks at the legal battle.</s>KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder was 20 years old when he was killed in Iraq. (on camera): Tell me about March 3, 2006, the day you found out that he was killed.</s>ALBERT SNYDER, FATHER OF FALLEN MARINE: It was probably the worst day of my life. If you lose a parent, you're an orphan. If you lose a spouse, you're a widow or a widower. But if you lose a child, there's not even a word to describe it.</s>BOLDUAN: Even after all of this time, I mean, the pain is --</s>SNYDER: It's still there. It's still there. And it's no different.</s>BOLDUAN (voice-over): But Albert Snyder says that was only the beginning of the nightmare for his family.</s>UNIDENTIFIED GROUP (singing): America, America --</s>BOLDUAN: Members of the Kansas-based Westboro Church led by Fred Phelps picketed outside of Matthew Snyder's funeral, as they've done at military funerals hundreds of times before. The church believes soldiers are dying because God is punishing the country for "the sin of homosexuality." Matthew Snyder was not gay.</s>FRED PHELPS, FOUNDER, WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH: I'm sorry that they raised their son for the devil in hell. I'm sorry that they let him have anything to do with the</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here to tell them that they sent their child to hell.</s>BOLDUAN (on camera): The funeral was held here, St. John Catholic Church. Albert Snyder preparing to bury his only son. And here, nearby, on this public street, is where the Westboro Church members gathered for their angry protest, triggering this constitutional battle.</s>SNYDER: It comes down to dignity. No one -- I don't care if you're not military -- no one should be buried with what the Phelps did to him.</s>BOLDUAN (voice-over): Snyder sued for defamation and invasion of privacy, but the Phelps family argues they're protected by their rights of free speech and religious expression. The fight has now made it all the way to the high court. Sean Summers is Albert Snyder's attorney.</s>SEAN SUMMERS, ATTORNEY FOR ALBERT SNYDER: When they protest outside of a private funeral, they're not trying to advocate for or against a particular position. All they're doing is harassing a family so they can hijack someone else's private event.</s>BOLDUAN: The Phelps family declined to be interviewed about the case, but told the court they weren't targeting Matthew Snyder personally, saying, "The church's speech was public issue speech, highly disliked and needing protection." Adding, "The church does not require an invitation to be on a public right-of-way peacefully picketing."</s>SHIRLEY PHELPS-ROPER, WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH: What they want to do is they want to litigate our religious doctrine. Well, you don't do that in America.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Each one of the mare going to hell.</s>BOLDUAN: The Phelpses have the support of free speech advocates and some media groups. Albert Snyder has the support of 48 states and members of Congress. (on camera): You and your family have suffered so much. Why do you want to take this fight on?</s>SNYDER: So other people don't have to go through the same thing that we went through.</s>HARRIS: My goodness. Kate Bolduan, live now from the Supreme Court. And Kate, you were inside the court building, inside the courtroom for the oral arguments on this case. If you would, describe the arguments you heard.</s>BOLDUAN: Fascinating. Each side was able to have 30 minutes, and that's pretty typical. Very tough questions coming from the justices for both sides. It really seemed that the justices were struggling with the big question here of where and if to draw the line between the right of someone to hold a private funeral and the right of people to protest on what they consider public issues. Many -- without into a lot of the legal arguments here, many questions about what makes someone a private figure, when do they enter the public sphere? What is public-issue speech? Where does it become speech that is targeting an individual almost like harassment or forcing intentional distress upon someone? Also, the question of setting. Is a funeral a setting that requires more protection than other settings? A lot of tough questions on both sides. It's a highly emotional case. I always say this, Tony, and I'll say it again. A case does not make it to the Supreme Court because it's easy and because it's a slam-dunk. Very tough issues here. And it seems because of all this battle that you could see within the justices as they're asking these questions, it seems that it would suggest that we could get a very narrow ruling here rather than what you can see sometimes, which is a very broad ruling that has very broad implications for people throughout the country. So we'll have to see how the justices land on this, but a very tough case.</s>HARRIS: Solid reporting on this through and through. Kate Bolduan for us. Kate, appreciate it. Thank you. 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