FBI arrests treasurer of troubled Puerto Rico transportation agency

The FBI has arrested the treasurer of a debt-ridden public agency in Puerto Rico that the government is trying to bail out with help from a proposed tax increase that has angered many.

Spokesman Moises Quinones said agents seized evidence after raiding the Highway and Transportation Authority on Wednesday. He said an unidentified employee was arrested and will be charged.

An official who was not authorized to speak about the case confirmed the man arrested is the treasurer.

The agency's finances have been the focus of intense legislative debates on a bill that would increase the excise tax on a barrel of crude oil by 68 percent.

The governor has said the tax is needed to strengthen the agency, which owes $2.2 billion to Puerto Rico's Government Development Bank.