Puerto Plata court orders release of two men detained at Playa Encuentro

A court in Puerto Plata has ordered the immediate release of Melvin Antonio Martínez Díaz and José Rodríguez, following a police operation at Playa Encuentro in Sosúa. The judicial decision, issued by Judge Romaldy Marcelino Henríquez, characterized the police intervention as arbitrary and noted the disproportionate use of force during the arrest.

The two men were detained on October 1 while performing fencing work on a plot of land that is currently the subject of a property dispute. While the Public Ministry initially presented seized weapons as part of an illegal act, the court found that the firearms—a 9mm Derya pistol and a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun—were legally registered to private security companies, MVT Security Group, S.R.L. and Seguridad Luclal, S.A., respectively.

In addition to questioning the police conduct, the tribunal highlighted that the Public Ministry failed to present a legal title to establish the rightful ownership of the land where the incident occurred. The ruling does not resolve the underlying property dispute or the rights to coastal access, but it mandates the return of the seized items to the detainees.