This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 21 SANTO DOMINGO 005411 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR INL/LP KEVIN BROWN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR DR
SUBJECT:  Draft Dominican Republic International Narcotics 
Control Strategy Report (INCSR)  Part 1 Drug and Chemical 
Control 
Following is draft text of Embassy's submission for the 
2005-2006 INCSR  Part I for the Dominican Republic.  Data 
tables for calendar years 2005, 2004 and 2003 will follow 
septel. 
 
¶I. Summary 
The Dominican Republic is a major transit country from 
South America, with cocaine transiting to Europe, and both 
cocaine and heroin to the United States.  Occasionally MDMA 
(ecstasy) transits the Dominican Republic en route to the 
United States. The Government of the Dominican Republic 
(GODR) continued to cooperate closely with the United 
States Government (USG) in counternarcotics matters. Last 
year (2005) was marked by increased seizure rate and 
increased quantities of interdicted heroin, cocaine and 
d 
MDMA; further increase in extraditions; advances in 
domestic law enforcement capacity, institution building and 
interagency networking; and progress in criminal 
proceedings in major bank fraud cases. Although the GODR 
strengthened its efforts to combat corruption in 2005, 
corruption and weak governmental institutions remained an 
impediment to controlling the flow of illegal narcotics 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
Cultivation/Production. There is no known cultivation of 
coca or opium poppy in the DR. Cannabis is grown on a small 
scale for local consumption. There is no definitive 
evidence of in-country manufacture of MDMA. 
Distribution/Sale, Transport and Financing. In 2005, drugs 
were easily accessible for local consumption in most 
metropolitan areas. The Dominican Republic attracted a 
growing number of tourists from Europe, the United States, 
and Canada who provided a customer base for local drug 
sales, especially at the beachfront vacation resorts. 
Traffickers often used drugs to pay low-level couriers and 
distributors. Gang violence and settling of drug-related 
scores, especially in northern cities, were subjects of 
frequent headlines in the Dominican press. The DNCD 
continued to focus interdiction operations on the drug- 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
transit routes in Dominican territorial waters along the 
northern border and on its land border crossings with 
Haiti, while attempting to prevent air drops and maritime 
delivery of illicit narcotics to remote areas.  The 
majority of air tracks in 2005 originated in Venezuela. 
Asset Seizure.  Two asset seizure laws were recently 
clarified by an executive order stating that the measures 
set forth in Law 78-03 prevail over those contained in 72- 
¶02.  78-03 permits the seizure, conservation and 
administration of assets which are the product or 
instrument of criminal acts pending judgment and 
sentencing. 
Extradition. The U.S.-Dominican Extradition Treaty dates 
from 1909 and does not deal with many drug-related 
offenses. It is augmented by the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
Extradition began in earnest only in 1998, when President 
Fernandez signed implementing legislation. During 2005, 
judicial review was added to the procedure for extradition, 
making extraditions more objective and transparent.  During 
2005, the U.S. Marshals continued to receive excellent 
cooperation from the DNCD's Fugitive 
Surveillance/Apprehension Unit and other relevant Dominican 
authorities in arresting fugitives and returning them to 
the United States to face justice. 
The GODR extradited 32 Dominicans and arrested and deported 
12 fugitives back to the U.S. for prosecution purposes. 
Local authorities, working with the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement (ICE), arrested and deported or expelled an 
additional 10 subjects.  Of these 54 cases, 42 were 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
narcotics-related. 
Mutual Legal Assistance. The GODR cooperates with USG 
agencies, including the DEA, FBI, U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP), ICE, Department of Defense and U.S. 
Marshals Service, on counternarcotics and fugitive matters. 
The DNCD housed and manned the DEA-sponsored CDI at its 
facilities in Santo Domingo. An increasing number of 
Caribbean countries have found the CDI's intelligence 
analysis services useful and are now both frequent 
contributors and beneficiaries of new information. 
In 2005, the Dominican Navy did not normally conduct 
illegal migration interdiction operations in the Mona Pass 
except when participating in USG-funded joint operation 
(see section on bilateral cooperation).  The Navy instead 
focused their efforts on shore patrol operations. 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
Examination of captured smuggling vessels indicated a 
strong link between illegal migration and drug smuggling. 
On a typical voyage, several passengers carry backpacks 
containing one or two kilos of cocaine. 
Precursor Chemical Control. The Secretariat of Health is 
responsible for the control of chemicals entering and 
departing the Dominican Republic. The CND has prohibited 
the re-exportation of certain chemicals. 
Demand Reduction. The DNCD conducted over 135 youth events 
in various cities and neighborhoods reaching over 120,000 
young people with the message that competitive and 
recreational activities are better choices than drug abuse. 
 
Law Enforcement Efforts.  In 2005, the DNCD increased its 
seizure rate and netted record single seizures of both 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
heroin (39 kilos) and MDMA (259,627 units) with the 
cooperation and assistance of the DEA.   The October 2005 
record seizure of heroin was effected in Santo Domingo 
based on intelligence concerning the Colombian owners' 
search for buyers.  The November 2005 record seized units 
of MDMA were found along with a firearm in 3 abandoned bags 
from Amsterdam at the Gregorio Luperon International 
Airport in Puerto Plata.  The DNCD netted several other 
multi-hundred kilogram seizures in 2005 including 128 
kilograms of cocaine hidden in a container of denim jeans 
bound for bound for New York and 442 kilograms of cocaine 
from a Colombian trafficking organization operating in the 
Dominican Republic. Through November 2005, overall seizures 
totaled 2,191 kilograms of cocaine, 111.8 kilograms of 
heroin, 280,627 units of MDMA, and 1,146 pounds of 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
marijuana. 
 
The DNCD made 2,916 drug-related arrests in 2005; of these, 
2,802 were Dominican nationals and 114 were foreigners. 
Although, the majority of arrests and seizures happened at 
one of the seven international airports in the Dominican 
Republic, the actual amount of drugs seized was small. 
Most of the significant seizures were made in the larger 
cities. Maritime seizures remain a challenge for the DR, 
especially drugs hidden in commercial vessels for shipment 
to the U.S. and/or Europe and drugs arriving by "go-fast" 
boats from South America.  The DNCD and their DEA 
counterparts concentrated increasingly on investigations 
leading to takedown of large criminal organizations. 
The GODR expanded its counternarcotics and counter- 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
explosive canine units with U.S., Dutch and international 
assistance, increasing coverage to all international 
airports and major sea ports.  The DNCD continued to 
upgrade its equipment, train technicians, and develop new 
software in furtherance of a multi-year, USG-supported 
effort to share data among Dominican law enforcement 
agencies and to make information available on demand by 
field officers. 
The Dominican Navy and the DNCD participated in two 
combined operations with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), CBP 
and DEA in January-February (Op MANGU) and September (Op 
IGUANA) 2005 to combat the regional threat of narcotics 
trafficking in the approaches to Puerto Rico. Operation 
MANGU succeeded in interdicting 2,000 kilos of cocaine. 
Both operations were conducted pursuant to existing 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
bilateral agreements. 
Corruption. The GODR does not, as a matter of government 
policy, encourage or facilitate illicit production or 
distribution of narcotics, psychotropic drugs, and other 
controlled substances, nor does it contribute to drug- 
related money laundering. 
Dominican institutions remain vulnerable to influence by 
interest groups or wealthy individuals, including narcotics 
traffickers. The GODR has not convicted any senior 
government official for engaging in, encouraging, or 
facilitating the illicit production or distribution of 
illicit drugs or controlled substances, or for the 
laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. 
In the past 12 months, the GODR has appointed and supported 
the reform agendas of several reform-minded high-level 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
officials untainted by political scandals. The new Attorney 
General has aggressively pursued several anti-corruption 
investigations and has also implemented competitive civil 
service recruitment of prosecutors (in the past were all 
political appointees). A financial disclosure law for 
senior appointed, civil service and elected officials has 
been implemented in the Dominican Republic, but lack of 
auditing controls and applicable sanctions have weakened 
the effectiveness of this measure. 
The GODR is a party to the Inter-American Convention 
Against Corruption and in 2001 signed the consensus 
agreement on establishing a mechanism to evaluate 
compliance with the Convention. 
Agreements and Treaties. The DR is a party to the 1988 UN 
Drug Convention. In 1984, the USG and the GODR entered into 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
an agreement on international narcotics control 
cooperation. In May 2003 the Dominican Republic entered 
into three comprehensive bilateral agreements on 
Cooperation in Maritime Migration Law Enforcement, Maritime 
Counter-Drug Operations, and Search and Rescue, granting 
permanent over-flight provisions in all three agreements 
for the respective operations. The three agreements 
conclude a long bilateral effort to secure permanent over- 
flight provisions; previous agreements provided only annual 
provisions. In addition, the Maritime Counter-Drug 
Agreement broadened the scope of operations agreed to by 
the parties. The GODR signed, but has not yet ratified, the 
Caribbean Regional Maritime Agreement. 
The GODR has signed but not ratified the UN Convention 
against Transnational Organized Crime, the Protocol to 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, the UN 
International Convention Against Terrorist Financing, the 
Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants, and the 
Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and 
Trafficking in Firearms. 
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
Bilateral Cooperation. Cocaine and heroin trafficking, 
money laundering, institutional corruption, and reform of 
the judicial system remain the primary counternarcotics 
concerns of the USG in the Dominican Republic. The USG and 
the GODR cooperate to develop Dominican institutions that 
can interdict and seize narcotics shipments and conduct 
effective investigations leading to arrests, prosecutions, 
and convictions. The USG continues to urge the GODR to 
improve its asset forfeiture procedures and its capacity to 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
regulate financial institutions, develop and maintain 
strict controls on precursor chemicals, improve its demand 
reduction programs, enhance its prosecutorial function, and 
strengthen and improve coordination among its law 
enforcement institutions. 
During 2005, the USG provided essential equipment and 
training to expand the counternarcotics canine units and 
supported the DNCD's vetted special investigation unit, 
assessed border security, and enhanced DNCD computer 
training, database expansion and systems maintenance 
support. 
The USG assisted the Dominican Navy with its equipment 
maintenance and training programs and participated in joint 
counternarcotics and illegal migration operations as noted 
above.  The USG also provided training and equipment to 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
enhance the capabilities of specialized airport and port 
security forces. 
The Dominican Navy and Air Force have a direct 
communications agreement with the USCG regional operations 
center in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Dominican Navy vessels 
have participated in a few maritime drug seizures and joint 
exercises.  Navy shore patrols have disrupted illegal 
migration voyages, another favorite method for smuggling 
drugs. 
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) 
criminal justice and transparency program continues to 
emphasize training for investigators, prosecutors, public 
defenders and judges in new criminal procedures and 
investigation/prosecution of complex crimes. Progress has 
been observed in 2005 in faster case processing, decreased 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
pre-trial detention, availability of public defenders and 
prosecutors 24 hours per day, and positive change in 
justice sector's attitudes toward presumption of innocence 
of the accused.  USAID provided three weeks training to a 
group of 40 police, prosecutors, auditors, judges, banking 
superintendent investigators, and drug control officers in 
organized crime investigation and case management. 
Seventeen of the group received three weeks additional 
training from international experts and will receive three 
more weeks advanced training in 2006.  This group forms a 
core inter-agency complex crimes investigation/prosecution 
taskforce. 
 
USAID is also assisting the Public Prosecutor's office 
develop and implement policies and procedures for evidence 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
preservation and asset seizure and maintenance given recent 
policy changes transferring these authorities from judges 
to prosecutors. 
 
A law enforcement development program targeting the 
National Police, including training in the code of criminal 
procedure, reform of the basic and in-service training, 
planning capacity-building and internal affairs office 
restructuring and reform has been implemented by the 
Embassy Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS). 
The U.S. Department of Justice and Department of State 
provided advanced training to mid-level police officers at 
the FBI Academy, the International Law Enforcement Academy 
(ILEA) in Roswell, NM, and through FBI re-trainers in 
Panama and El Salvador. DEA offered a basic drug 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
intelligence course for the DNCD in December.  Several DNCD 
officers attended FBI training in interview and 
interrogation techniques. 
The Dominican chapter of the Business Alliance for Secure 
Commerce (BASC), a voluntary alliance of manufacturers, 
transport companies, and related private sector entities, 
expanded its training program and was cited by CBP 
officials as one of the most effective BASC chapters 
worldwide. In 2005, the BASC DR chapter expanded to 11 the 
number of companies who met the strict criteria for 
certification. 
The DNCD counternarcotics canine program expanded to 31 
canine units, and the airport security counter-explosive 
canine unit, started in 2004, expanded to 15 canine units, 
with U.S., Dutch and international assistance. 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
Counternarcotics and counter-explosive canine capacity now 
covers all international airports and major sea ports. 
With USG support, the Dominican Port Authority and the DNCD 
maintained good security at the formerly chaotic Santo 
Domingo terminal of the ferry to Puerto Rico. A 2004-05 
security upgrade project to bring the terminal into 
compliance with International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) 
standards and consistent use of a USG X-ray machine has 
improved departure processing and established controls to 
detect and prevent smuggling of drugs and other contraband 
to Puerto Rico. 
The DEA-funded CDI at DNCD headquarters permits real-time 
sharing and analysis of narcotics-related intelligence 
among all the nations of the Caribbean Basin. Similar 
centers are established in Mexico, Colombia, and Bolivia. 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
The Embassy NAS funded computer and office equipment and 
training to establish the Financial Analysis Unit, the main 
GODR entity charged with receiving, requesting, analyzing, 
investigating and forwarding suspicious financial activity 
reports to/from competent legal authorities. 
The Road Ahead. The immediate goal remains helping to 
institutionalize judicial reform and good governance. The 
GODR and USG are working to build coherent counternarcotics 
programs that can resist the pressures of corruption and 
can address new challenges brought by innovative narcotics 
trafficking organizations. The USG and the GODR will 
continue strengthening drug control cooperation through 
sharing of information and developing closer working 
relations among principal agencies. The USG will continue 
providing training and equipment for the DNCD, focusing its 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
attention on the information technology and intelligence 
exchange necessary to disrupt narcotics smuggling at 
Dominican land and sea borders and at airports. Support for 
the training, equipping and re-certification of the 
counternarcotics and counter-explosives canine units will 
continue.  The USG will continue to provide support to 
Dominican anti-money laundering entities, and Dominican 
government and private sector counternarcotics efforts, 
including provision of specialized technical equipment and 
support of business and civil society demand reduction 
efforts. 
USAID and the NAS will provide further training to 
prosecutors, investigators, and national police, increasing 
their professionalism and ensuring that they are prepared 
to continue to implement the new Criminal Procedure Code. 
through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
II. Status of Country 
There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of major illicit drugs in the Dominican 
Republic. Dominican criminal organizations are increasingly 
involved in command and control of international drug 
trafficking operations, but the country's primary role in 
regional drug trafficking is as a transshipment hub. 
Seizures in 2005 continued to indicate that cocaine, 
heroin, and marijuana destined for the United States and, 
to a lesser extent, Europe were being transshipped through 
the DR and its territorial waters. Interdicted MDMA 
(ecstasy) was most often being transported from Europe to 
the United States. Law enforcement authorities noted a low 
level of drug smuggling via the ferries operating to Puerto 
Rico, probably due to improved departure screening and 
significant physical security improvements at the Santo 
Domingo ferry terminal. 
Dominican nationals play a major role in the actual 
transshipment of drugs. Fishing and "go-fast" crews in the 
Caribbean include Dominican nationals, mostly fishermen 
recruited from the local docks. The crews speak Spanish, 
the language of the source country smugglers; move easily 
throughout the Caribbean; and are recruited for very low 
pay. 
The Dominican Republic is not a producer of precursor 
chemicals. 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing continues to play 
an important part in interdiction efforts.  The Drug 
Enforcement Administration(DEA) Center for Drug Information 
(CDI), housed in the National Drug Control Directorate 
(DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for intelligence within 
the Caribbean, while the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission hosted a successful regional conference in Santo 
Domingo last year.  Both initiatives spurred increased 
regional counternarcotics intelligence-sharing. 
The DNCD, the law enforcement arm responsible for 
counternarcotics measures, and the National Drug Council 
(CND), the GODR's policy and planning organ, have adopted a 
computerized system that tracks seizures of assets in 
connection with drug-related offenses. 
The GODR continues to struggle to implement anti-money 
laundering legislation passed in 2002.  In support of this 
effort, a Financial Analysis Unit under the CND was 
created, staffed and received training. (See the Money 
Laundering section of this report.) 
The GODR's revised criminal procedure code went into effect 
in 2004, setting the stage for improved prosecution of 
complex crimes. The new procedure prioritizes technical and 
scientific evidence over testimony and character witnesses. 
The GODR has begun various initiatives with U.S. and 
international support to train law enforcement and judicial 
officials in the new code. 
 
USG support for civil society's and the Fernandez 
administration's efforts to prevent and prosecute corrupt 
activities will continue, through U.S. funded programs to 
strengthen the Attorney General's Department for Prevention 
of Corruption and the Controller General's Office, as well 
as through monitoring and reporting GODR compliance with 
the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. HERTELL