SeNaSa corruption and fraud investigations

Legal proceedings regarding corruption and fraud within the Dominican Republic’s National Health Insurance (SeNaSa) have progressed through various stages of investigation and prosecution.

In the SeNaSa 2.0 case, defense attorneys for 26 defendants have challenged the investigation’s methodology. Lawyers have argued that medical records are the responsibility of clinical centers rather than individual physicians and have accused the Public Ministry of using unverified statements to build cases. The investigation focuses on allegations that medical procedures were billed and collected without being performed.

Separately, under the ‘Operación Cobra’ investigation into embezzlement within SeNaSa, former prosecutor Aurelio Valdez Alcántara has been ordered to stand trial. Judge Raymundo Mejía of the First Court of Instruction of the National District ruled there was sufficient evidence to proceed after allegations that Valdez Alcántara solicited and received a $10,000 bribe from a witness in exchange for legal favors. The prosecution alleges the bribe was received during a controlled delivery on March 27, 2026.

While the judge described the evidence as “robust, useful, relevant and pertinent,” Valdez Alcántara’s pretrial detention was modified. He was granted release from the Najayo Hombres Correctional Center under an economic guarantee, which includes a RD$1 million bond via an insurance company, requirements for periodic reporting, and a travel ban. The prosecution has indicated intentions to appeal this change in detention status due to concerns regarding flight risk, while the defense maintains that the initial preventive detention was unnecessary.

The proceedings against Valdez Alcántara have brought attention to systemic challenges within the Dominican judicial system. Judge Ysis Berenice Muñiz Almonte noted that courts face difficulties implementing alternative measures to preventive prison due to logistical and economic barriers, such as the high cost of electronic monitoring.