Saint Dominic.-President Luis Abinader announced a temporary agreement with the United States that will allow the use of restricted spaces at the San Isidro Air Base and at the Las Américas International Airport for refueling operations, transfer of equipment and technical support of US aircraft dedicated to combating regional drug trafficking.
The announcement was made yesterday during the official visit of the Secretary of War of the United States, Pete Hegseth, who arrived in the country to hold high-level meetings on security cooperation. The visit had been announced yesterday by President Abinader himself, who highlighted its importance amid the increase in drug trafficking from South America.
Abinader explained that the measure is framed in the current agreements between both countries, including the Maritime and Air Interdiction Agreement signed in 1995 and its 2003 amendment protocol, which establish that all operations must be carried out under Dominican authorization and with direct accompaniment from the Ministry of Defense and the DNCD.
“The purpose is clear: to reinforce the air and maritime protection ring to prevent the entry of narcotics and hit transnational organized crime more forcefully,” said the president. He stressed that cooperation is technical, limited and temporary, and is developed with “absolute respect for the Constitution and national sovereignty.”
The president recalled that since 2020, thanks to joint work with the United States, the Dominican Republic has seized almost ten times more drugs per year than in the previous decade. He said these results were recently recognized by a high-level DEA mission that visited the country two weeks ago.
Hegseth affirmed that both countries are committed to forcefully confronting narcoterrorist organizations operating in the Caribbean. “The only language they understand is force,” he said, highlighting that collaboration will save lives in both countries.
He also stressed that the US deployment is of a reduced presence, temporary and fully respectful of Dominican laws.
Strategic alliance
Abinader highlighted that the Dominican Republic faces a growing threat due to the use of its territory as a transit route for international cartels, given the increase in drug production in South America.
“Security is not only the absence of threats, but the firm and legitimate presence of the State where necessary,” said the head of state, reiterating that the country will continue to close criminal routes and combat the corrupting influence of drug trafficking networks.
Operation Southern Spear consists of a large-scale military operation against narcoterrorism in Latin America, designed to reinforce cooperation, specialized equipment and the exchange of information in real time with the main allies in the region.
Its main objective is to combat drug trafficking cartels, especially the Cartel of the Suns and other related criminal structures, which operate widely in the Caribbean and South America.
Within the framework of the bilateral cooperation agreement between both governments, the Southern Command and the United States Air Force will provide refueling and air transport aircraft to support anti-drug trafficking operations, including Operation Southern Spear.
This collaboration has the purpose of interrupting illicit operations by transnational criminal organizations (CTO) and foreign terrorist organizations (FTO), identified by the United States.
There will be several KC-135 tanker aircraft in support of air patrol missions and, additionally, C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft will facilitate aeromedical evacuations, firefighting, meteorological reconnaissance and disaster assistance.
The Caribbean region is experiencing a growing escalation of geopolitical tension, in which the United States, with the Dominican Republic as a “pivot ally,” has intensified its military presence and joint operations for maritime control and interdiction of drug trafficking networks that operate from South America, including Venezuela.
Cooperation
—1— Operation
The seizure of 484 packages of cocaine on November 15 in Pedernales marked the official start of Operation Southern Spear.
—2— DEA
A DEA commission congratulated Abinader for his support in the fight against drug trafficking.
