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27 clusters · 228 sources · 101 days · First seen 5 months ago · Last updated about 2 months ago

Dominican Republic drug crackdown expands

Overview

The multi‑agency security campaign that began in early July 2026 has intensified. Coordinated raids in June seized thousands of grams of cocaine, marijuana, crack and other narcotics in Santiago, Verón‑Punta Cana, Barahona, Santo Domingo Este and other districts, arresting dozens of suspects and confiscating cash, weapons and processing equipment. A series of operations dismantled the country’s largest marijuana cultivations in San José de Ocoa, first seizing more than 3 500 plants (≈3 200 lb) and later confirming a record‑size plantation of over 13 800 lb, with total eradications exceeding 18 000 plants. In July, authorities destroyed more than 1 144 kg of narcotics—including 928 kg of marijuana and 213 kg of cocaine—at a military camp in Pedro Brand, and seized additional kilos in separate raids across the capital and provincial cities. International cooperation grew as two Dominican nationals were extradited to the United States on cocaine‑trafficking charges, and a joint operation at Las Américas International Airport led to the arrest of airport staff and the seizure of 90 cocaine packages. Operation LGTCA in August targeted a transnational network on the eastern coast, resulting in 11 arrests and the capture of vehicles, boats and communication gear. In mid-August, the National Directorate for Drug Control (DNCD) dismantled a narcotics distribution and processing center in the Renacimiento sector of the National District. This operation led to the arrest of three individuals, including an Italian national, and the seizure of cocaine, ketamine, tusi, marijuana, crack, and approximately 404 ecstasy pills, alongside processing equipment and a Glock handgun. Additionally, National Police raids in Los Guaricanos, Santo Domingo Norte, resulted in the seizure of firearms, narcotics, and illegal slot machines, with four individuals arrested.

Entities

Dirección Nacional de Control de Drogas · Ministério Público · DNCD · Dominican Republic · Brigada de Investigación Criminal

Claims

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

[● 6 SOURCES] Authorities seized ten vehicles of different models.
[● 6 SOURCES] The dismantled network received drug shipments from South America and redistributed them to Puerto Rico.
[● 6 SOURCES] The network's operational base was on the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic between the Chavón River mouth and Bayahíbe.
[● 6 SOURCES] Fourteen simultaneous raids were conducted in properties in La Altagracia, La Romana and Puerto Plata.
[● 6 SOURCES] Approximately eleven people were arrested during the operation.
[● 6 SOURCES] More than 300 agents and 18 prosecutors participated in the operation.
[● 5 SOURCES] Ten members of the organization were identified, some with prior convictions for drug trafficking in Puerto Rico.
[● 3 SOURCES] The Ministry of Public Prosecution and the DNCD dismantled an international drug trafficking network.

Timeline

about 2 months ago

[CRIME] 43 sources
CJNG-linked criminal cell dismantled in Veracruz and Puebla
Authorities dismantled a CJNG-linked criminal cell in Veracruz and Puebla responsible for cargo theft and express kidnappings on the 150-D highway, arresting a leader and two women.
about 2 months ago

[CRIME] 72 sources
Dominican Republic authorities dismantle international drug trafficking network
Dominican authorities dismantled an international drug trafficking network in the eastern coastal region through Operation LGTCA, arresting 11 people and seizing vehicles and boats.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 4 sources
Dominican Republic's Southern Coast Faces Escalating Drug Trafficking Threat
International cartels are using the Dominican Republic’s southern coast, including Ocoa and Barahona, to smuggle cocaine and marijuana, prompting large drug seizures and raising fears of crime and extortion in
3 months ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Dominican Republic confronts drug‑trafficking cybercrime and police reform waste
A Dominican informant detailed US heroin smuggling via cheese and a shift to cyber fraud, while ex‑lawyer Ramón Ceballos decried a 11‑billion‑peso police reform as wasteful and ineffective.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Dominican Republic police seize over 2 kg crack and cocaine in Santiago apartment
Dominican police arrested a drug dealer in Santiago, seizing over 2 kg of crack, 820 g of cocaine and cash worth over a million pesos.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 6 sources
Dominican Republic courts free three suspects in marijuana plantation, sentence another to 10 years
Dominican courts released three suspects after a large marijuana plantation bust in El Pinar, while another defendant received a 10‑year term for trafficking 20 lb of cannabis in Las Matas de Farfán.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 16 sources
Dominican Republic drug crackdown yields 20 arrests, 9 kg seized and two suspects extradited to the U.S
Dominican drug raids detained 20 people, seized over 9 kg of narcotics and uncovered 83 hidden cocaine pills; two suspects were extradited to the U.S. on trafficking charges.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 12 sources
Dominican Republic ramps up drug seizures and destroys over a ton of narcotics
Dominican Republic agencies destroyed over a ton of drugs, seized large marijuana farms, captured a cocaine‑smuggling suspect and intercepted multiple marijuana shipments.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 3 sources
Dominican Republic police bust illicit alcohol plant, seize 32 kg of drugs
Dominican authorities dismantled a clandestine alcohol plant producing over 25,000 L of adulterated liquor in Azua and, in simultaneous raids across four provinces, arrested 123 people and seized more than 32 k
3 months ago

[CRIME] 5 sources
Dominican Republic drug agency seizes over 10 kg cocaine, arrests suspects
Dominican Republic's DNCD seized over 10 kg of drugs in the capital and arrested two airport staff linked to 90 cocaine packages, while detaining 21 people overall.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 9 sources
Dominican Republic arrests two airport staff in major cocaine seizure
Dominican officials arrested two airport employees after seizing 90 cocaine packages at Las Américas airport; five others remain detained as investigations continue.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 9 sources
Dominican police launch sweeping arrests and investigations into homicide, fraud, and drug crime
Dominican police arrested suspects for homicide, illegal weapons and robbery, busted a Colombian fraud ring, probed a merchant murder, released a national security statistics bulletin, and seized large drug ha
3 months ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Dominican nationals face US deportation and extradition over robbery and meth trafficking
A Dominican convicted of a slot‑machine robbery scheme will be deported, while another Dominican was extradited to the US on meth‑trafficking charges, highlighting US‑Dominican law‑enforcement cooperation.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 99 sources
Dominican police arrest 100 in massive drug bust in Santo Domingo Este
Dominican police arrested 100 people and seized over 28 kg of cocaine, marijuana and crack in a sweep across Santo Domingo Este.
3 months ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Dominican Republic: San José de Ocoa confirmed as site of massive marijuana bust
Dominican police seized over 18,000 marijuana plants in remote mountains, confirming the crop was in San José de Ocoa province despite earlier claims it was in Azua; three suspects detained and surveillance is
4 months ago

[CRIME] 20 sources
Dominican Republic police dismantle record‑size marijuana plantation in San José de Ocoa
Dominican police bust a record 13,800‑lb marijuana plantation; Argentine raids seize cannabis, cocaine and firearms; Dominican authorities dismantle a clandestine alcohol factory and convict traffickers; other
4 months ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Dominican police seize 749 drug portions in Santiago and Sosúa arrests
Dominican police arrested Yefry Pérez in Santiago with 443 drug portions and Daniel Urbáez Pérez in Sosúa with 306 portions, seizing cash and a phone.
4 months ago

[CRIME] 9 sources
Dominican Republic police seize drugs, arrest suspects and launch new anti‑drug measures
Dominican police seized hundreds of cocaine doses, weapons and cash while hunting fugitive ‘Wilkyns Gatillo’; nationwide raids confiscated over 10 kg of drugs and arrested 45 suspects, and the DNCD launched a 
4 months ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Dominican Republic police seize 1.7 kg cocaine in Santo Domingo drug bust
Dominican police raids in Santo Domingo’s Distrito Nacional arrested six drug suspects and seized about 1.7 kg cocaine, 242 g marijuana, crack and related equipment.
4 months ago

[CRIME] 12 sources
Dominican Republic, Mexico and Argentina record large drug busts and arrests
Police in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina, Honduras, Kuwait and Mauritius seize drugs, firearms and equipment in coordinated busts, detaining dozens and destroying large cocaine, fentanyl and coca cro
4 months ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Dominican and Costa Rican Nationals Extradited to U.S. Over Cocaine Trafficking
Dominican Missaelle Morales Silvestre and Costa Rican Gilbert Bell Fernández were extradited to the U.S. on cocaine‑trafficking charges, highlighting increased Caribbean‑U.S. cooperation against drug networks.
4 months ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Dominican Republic courts hand 10‑year sentences to drug traffickers as authorities destroy nearly 20 million illegal ‑
Dominican courts give 10‑year terms to a drug‑trafficking ring and confiscate assets, while a ministry operation destroys nearly 20 million illegal cigarettes, medicines, alcohol and stimulants worth RD$394 M.
4 months ago

[CRIME] 3 sources
Dominican authorities dismantle largest marijuana plantation in San José de Ocoa
Dominican drug police and the Ministry of Public dismantled a marijuana farm of over 3,500 plants in San José de Ocoa, seizing equipment, arresting two Haitians and a Dominican, and sending the crop to forensic
4 months ago

[CRIME] 4 sources
Dominican Republic authorities seize thousands of grams of drugs in coordinated raids
Dominican Republic's DNCD and Public Ministry seized over 5,400 g of cocaine, marijuana and crack in coordinated raids, arresting 14 suspects and confiscating weapons and equipment.
4 months ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Dominican nationals charged in US federal cocaine smuggling case in Puerto Rico
Three Dominican men were indicted in Puerto Rico for a conspiracy to import 178 kg of cocaine, facing drug‑trafficking and immigration charges.
4 months ago

[CRIME] 9 sources
Dominican Republic police seize thousands of grams of drugs in multi‑city raids
Dominican police raids in Santiago, Punta Cana and Barahona seized thousands of grams of cocaine, marijuana and crack, arresting dozens and confiscating weapons and cash.
5 months ago

[POLITICS] 10 sources
Dominican Republic pushes crackdown on illicit trade harming health
Dominican Republic targets illicit trade in medicines, alcohol and cigarettes, citing health risks and economic losses.

Sources

03442.com.ar · 2001online.com · 21noticias.com · 24-horas.mx · 7paginas.com.ar · agendainformativa.com.mx · ainalnaql.com · aktivni.si · alcontacto.com.mx · almomento.net · am.com.mx · amanecerqro.com.mx · argentarnoticias.com.ar · barrigaverde.net · bavarodigital.net · bavaronews.com · betwithus.com · cadenanueve.com · calle56.com · canal13sanjuan.com · capital.es · carlosmartinhuerta.com.mx · cartagenadiario.es · casildaplus.com · cfin.com.ar · chacodiapordia.com · chillanonline.cl · cuestionentrerriana.com.ar · derf.com.ar · deultimominuto.net · diario.mx · diarioconurbano.com.ar · diariocorreo.pe · diariodeavisos.elespanol.com · diariodelhuila.com · diariodelsur.com.co · diariodemorelos.com · diariodigital.com.do · diarioellibertador.com.ar · diarioelsolcusco.pe · diarioelzondasj.com.ar · diarioextra.com · diariolavozdelchaco.com · diariolibre.com · diariolosandes.com.ec · diariomarca.com.mx · diariomomento.com · diarioprensa.com.ar

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history