Santo Domingo.-The signals, expressed from different US agencies, the Department of Defense, the DEA and the Southern Command, show an accelerated strengthening of the bilateral relationship and a redefinition of the Dominican role on the map of regional security.
One of the most recent gestures came from the United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, who visited Santo Domingo on November 26 to meet with President Luis Abinader at the National Palace.
From there, he did not mince words to describe the Dominican Republic as a “regional leader willing to face difficult challenges” and assured that the renewed cooperation between both countries “is a model for the region.”
Hegseth publicly thanked the Dominican president for supporting the provisional deployment of US military personnel and aircraft as part of Operation Southern Lance, the regional strategy promoted by Washington to cut off the air and sea routes of drug trafficking that cross the Caribbean.
The official also stressed that this alliance represents a “forceful” response to narcoterrorism, a threat that both nations perceive as growing.
As a result of the meeting, President Abinader announced a temporary agreement to allow US aircraft participating in Operation Southern Lance to refuel at the San Isidro military airport and the Las Américas International Airport, as well as receive technical and logistical support if necessary.
According to the president himself, cooperation with the United States has allowed almost ten times more drugs to be seized per year since 2020 compared to the previous decade, a recognition that was also supported by a high-level DEA mission that visited the country weeks before.
On November 12, just days before the arrival of the Secretary of War, the Dominican Republic had already received another strong diplomatic boost from Washington. A high-level delegation from the DEA traveled to Santo Domingo to meet with President Abinader, on which occasion they formally congratulated him for the support that the country has given to the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean region.
The delegation was led by Daniel Salter, senior deputy administrator; Miles Aley, deputy head of International Operations; and other senior officials linked to the United States anti-drug strategy. Everyone agreed that the Dominican Republic has become a key partner for regional interdiction efforts.
During the meeting, it was agreed to further strengthen the exchange of information in real time, to improve equipment and deepen operational cooperation.
One of the specific points was the attention to the Cartel of the Suns and other transnational organized crime structures.
Current agreement
— Authorization
Cooperation is based on agreements already in force, such as the Maritime and Air Interdiction Agreement of 1995, reinforced in 2003, which establish that all operations must be carried out under Dominican authorization.
