Law enforcement agencies conduct major crime crackdowns in DR, Ecuador, and Colombia

Law enforcement agencies in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Colombia have conducted several operations targeting organized crime and fugitives.

In the Dominican Republic, the National Directorate for Drug Control (DNCD), supported by U.S. Marshals, arrested Ramón Martínez, also known as ‘El Negro Amante’, in Santo Domingo Oeste. Martínez is wanted for extradition to the United States on charges including first-degree murder and illegal weapons possession in Puerto Rico.

In Ecuador, security forces continue to intensify efforts against criminal structures. In Quito, the ‘Plan de Protección Quito’ has resulted in 349 arrests and the dismantling of four criminal organizations, alongside the seizure of numerous weapons and vehicles. Additionally, police in San Roque seized 40 bags of cocaine from a 37-year-old man. In the Cotopaxi province, authorities conducted 583 control operations to ensure public safety and regulate local businesses.

In Colombia, the military and customs authorities seized 198,500 packs of contraband cigarettes in Ipiales, Nariño. The shipment was reportedly being transported from central Colombia toward the Ecuadorian border, a route often used by transnational criminal networks to finance illicit activities.