De Lugo served in the United States Army as a program director and announcer for the Armed Forces Radio Service.

After the position of Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives was created for the Virgin Islands, De Lugo was the first to be elected to the office, in 1972.

De Lugo chose not to seek re-election as Delegate in 1978 so as to pursue a bid for Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

[1] De Lugo chose Eric E. Dawson, a Senator in the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, as his running mate for lieutenant governor.

De Lugo died on July 14, 2020 at an assisted living facility in Miami, Florida, less than a month before his 90th birthday.