After an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some 88 doctors across Puerto Rico were arrested for obtaining medical licenses through fraud or bribery.

The arrests were made following an investigation into members of the U.S. territory's medical-licensing board. The doctors, mostly Puerto Ricans who studied medicine in the Dominican Republic, Mexico or Cuba, are accused of bribing these officials to change exam results so that they certify unqualified candidates.

According to Associated Press reports, the board members are accused of accepting as much as $10,000 in bribes to raise the marks on exam papers so candidates would pass. Many of them failed the test multiple times.

At least 75 of the arrested doctors were practicing medicine in Puerto Rico, some in emergency rooms. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is now investigating if any of them prescribed medications, it could prompt felony charges as violations of the Controlled Substances Act.

If convicted, most of them could face five to 20 years in prison on charges that include mail fraud and making false statements to Medicare.