Dominican Republic police debunk viral list of 18 missing children

missing children disinformation cyberpatrolling police investigation social media hoax

The Dominican Republic's National Police have officially debunked a viral social media list claiming 18 children have gone missing between 2024 and 2026. Following cyberpatrolling and individual investigations, authorities determined that none of the names or cases in the publication correspond to actual reported disappearances. Preliminary investigations suggest the disinformation originated in New Jersey, United States.

While the viral list is false, the police confirmed there are six active or recent missing children cases on record. These include Roldani Nicolás Calderón and Brianna Genao Rosario, both reported missing in 2025, as well as Fraynel Daniel Ciprián Montero and Ruth Esther Paredes Ramírez from 2023, and Luis Ángel González Méndez and Kendry Esmil from 2022.

Police spokesperson Colonel Diego Pesqueira urged the public and media to verify information before sharing to prevent the spread of false content.

Entities

Brianna Genao Rosario · Diego Pesqueira · Dominican National Police · Dominican Republic · New Jersey · Policía Nacional · Roldani Nicolás Calderón · United States

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Preliminary investigations suggest the origin of the false publication is New Jersey, United States. vigilanteinformativo.com · ensegundos.do
[● 3 SOURCES] Actual missing minor cases recorded for 2025 include Roldani Nicolás Calderón and Brianna Genao Rosario. vigilanteinformativo.com · ensegundos.do
[● 3 SOURCES] Authorities verified the names of children aged 0 to 11 included in the list and found no matches in official records or media. vigilanteinformativo.com · ensegundos.do
[● 3 SOURCES] The Dominican National Police denied a viral social media list claiming 18 children went missing in the Dominican Republic between 2024 and 2026. vigilanteinformativo.com · ensegundos.do