New York.- The United States government asked President Luis Abinader to lead the fight against synthetic drugs in Central America and the Caribbean and Belgium for Europe, due to the experience and results obtained by his government in the fight against drugs in the Caribbean region.
The Dominican Republic and Belgium were chosen to assume these responsibilities during the Summit of Leaders of the Global Coalition to confront Synthetic Drugs, convened by the President of the United States, Joe Biden, within the framework of the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN).
During his speech, President Abinader explained that the threat of synthetic drug trafficking knows no borders, which is why “together with our regional partners, the Dominican Republic has developed a modern national strategy on these drugs.”
“In May of this year, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of our strategy, security and surveillance protocols at airports, ports and workers, which allows us to identify and block prohibited materials intended to produce and cause harm,” he said.
He added that his administration has increased investment in key infrastructure to effectively combat these phenomena and prosecute those responsible.
He highlighted efforts to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, specifically fentanyl, or synthetic drugs, citing as an example that last week, a joint operation between Dominican and U.S. security forces dismantled the powerful international drug trafficking network.
“The effectiveness of this effort is evident in drug seizures between 2020 and 2024, 148 tons in four years. During my administration, the average drug seizure has been 38 tons, compared to just 4,845 kilograms in the 16 years prior to 2020, eight times more per year. The preventive actions we have implemented have been decisive and effective,” he stressed.
He added that in this process, we have benefited from the invaluable cooperation of the United States and Mexico, who have provided us with resources, experience and technical assistance, for which we express our deep gratitude.
The head of state stated that the Dominican Republic has committed to convening the crew together with Prime Minister Alexander, an initiative aimed at interrupting the management of the transit room by synthetic drug traffickers.
Only 20 heads of state were invited to the summit, including President Luis Abinader, who sat in the front row along with the North American leader. The choice of the Dominican Republic to lead the fight against fentanyl in the Caribbean region is due to the successful fight that President Abinader’s government has carried out against drugs.
