Bani, Peravia.-The National Drug Control Directorate carried out the largest maritime seizure of narcotics recorded in the history of the fight against drug trafficking in the Dominican Republic early Sunday morning. Production took place south of Baní, in collaboration with the United States.
The cargo, which is estimated to exceed two tons, was transported on a speedboat from the La Guajira area, Colombia.
After the interdiction, the drugs were transferred to the Caldera military base, in Baní, where they remained in the custody of security agencies for analysis and the corresponding judicial process.
Six crew members, all of Dominican nationality, were arrested in the operation.
The National Drug Control Directorate will transfer the drugs to its headquarters to present it and provide details on the total weight of the seized cocaine and the anti-narcotics operation.
Preliminary investigations establish that the vessel departed from the area known as La Guajira, in northern Colombia, a region widely identified by international agencies as one of the main exit points for drugs to the Caribbean.
Its geography (extensive coastlines, little state presence in large areas and relative proximity to international maritime routes) has been used by criminal organizations to send shipments to Central America and the Caribbean, from where they subsequently go to the North American market.
According to anti-narcotics authorities, the use of speed boats is a frequent modality: light vessels, of great power and difficult to detect that try to cross the Caribbean in a few hours, taking advantage of indirect routes to evade surveillance systems.
Intelligence exchange
The arrest was possible thanks to the exchange of information between agencies, especially data provided by the United States to Dominican agencies, which allowed the vessel to be located before its arrival in national territory.
The authorities highlighted that bilateral cooperation remains active, despite the temporary suspension announced last week by the US ambassador regarding the local DEA office. This measure, as explained to EL DÍA, did not imply the cessation of joint operations, but rather the provisional separation of agents under investigation for alleged fraud linked to the visa program for informants.
Consequently, the mechanisms for technical assistance, data exchange and maritime interdiction remain in operation.
Strategic corridor
The seizure confirms the growing pressure of criminal networks on the Caribbean as a transit corridor. The geographical location of the Dominican Republic, between South America and the United States, makes it a strategic point for organizations dedicated to cocaine trafficking.
During recent years, security agencies have reported an increase in shipping attempts through direct maritime routes from Colombia and Venezuela, using fast vessels, modified fishing vessels or transshipments on the high seas.
The size of the shipment suggests that it was a large-scale operation, intended to feed international distribution networks.
Anti-narcotics authorities consulted by EL DÍA consider that the seizure constitutes a significant blow to regional drug trafficking and demonstrates the effectiveness of international cooperation in the early detection of shipments before their entry into the national territory.
Marijuana plantation
The Public Ministry and the DNCD are pursuing three men, including two Haitians, in relation to a large marijuana cultivation dismantled in a broad monitoring and surveillance operation in a mountainous area of the municipality of Baní, Peravia province.
Upon entering the area with helicopters and ground units, 1,835 marijuana plants were located, approximately two meters high, two buckets full of the vegetable, five extractors, four electrical extensions, an irrigation pump and a hammer, among other utensils.
Pursued
-Owner
The Public Ministry and the DNCD are pursuing a Dominican who, according to intelligence reports, is the owner of the land where the extensive marijuana plantation in Baní was discovered. A call was made for them to surrender.
Cordero would face 15 years in prison
Conspiracy. Melitón Cordero, supervisor of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in the Dominican Republic, could face federal charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud, which could carry a combined maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, under US federal law.
According to the Justice Department’s indictment, during his six years of service at the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Cordero allegedly accepted thousands of dollars in exchange for helping foreign nationals obtain nonimmigrant visas.
In addition, it would have processed at least 119 visa applications, one of which would have been considered fraudulent.
