The federal government denied on Thursday afternoon that thousands of shipping containers filled with food, water, and medicine reportedly stuck in Puerto Rico port for days reflect badly on its management of the crisis after Hurricane Maria.

A representative of the shipping company Crowley, which manages the port, told CNN that 10,000 shipping containers in San Juan were unable to be distributed. The containers are "full of emergency supplies, relief cargo," said Crowley's vice president in Puerto Rico, Jose Ayala.

"All kinds of goods: commercial materials, construction materials as well, medicines... food, there's a lot of food in these containers," said Ayala on Wednesday.



Impediments like damaged roads and trucks, no fuel, and no drivers has left the aid supplies waiting.



The federal government is trying to dissociate itself from the containers stuck at the port, and is instead focusing on other parts of its relief work in Puerto Rico.

Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert seemed to question the existence of the containers, calling it "loop footage" during Thursday afternoon's White House press briefing.

"What you saw today was some reporting and some loop footage of some trucks sitting on ports and docks," said Bossert.



"Why is it that there are 10,000 containers waiting at the port of San Juan?" asked a reporter during the briefing.



"To my point earlier, we're getting a lot of supplies through, but just perhaps a misreporting that misunderstands that fact," replied Bossert.

Alex de la Campa, FEMA's director of Caribbean, said in a press call that there were not enough drivers, trucks, or diesel for distribution, but added, “now we have drivers to take commodities to different municipalities, but also diesel so they are starting to distribute.”

However, he noted that it was "not correct" that the containers held aid for FEMA to distribute.

"All FEMA commodities are being distributed,” said de la Campa, adding that the shipping containers had already been in waiting in the docks of San Juan from before Hurricane Maria hit last week.



“They couldn't get them because of the storm. They have been there before Hurricane Maria. Those are the commodities and trailers they are talking about," said de la Campa.

The head of FEMA, Brock Long, told CNN on Thursday morning that he was unaware of the containers of goods left waiting in the docks.



"I don't even know if those are our shipping containers or not. I don't know what image you're referring to," he told host Kate Bolduan, moments after she'd interviewed a reporter standing in front of the containers.

