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S E C R E T SANTO DOMINGO 002838 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, DS, INR, CA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016 
TAGS: PINR PINS PTER CIVS KFRD DR
SUBJECT: WATCHLISTS AT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC'S POINTS OF ENTRY 
 
REF: A. STATE 114021 
     ¶B. SANTO DOMINGO 2568 
 
Classified By: Classified By: Charge Roland W. Bullen for reasons 1.4 ( 
b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (S) Summary.  With reftels Embassy reported on the 
Dominican Republic's immigration database system located at 
seaports, airports, and border crossing points.  New 
information reveals that at points of entry only the 
Dominican intelligence agency has access to watchlists 
provided by Interpol and other Dominican government agencies. 
 End Summary. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
REFTEL B - WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2.  (S) With reftel A Washington analysts requested 
information about the Dominican Republic's immigration 
system, specifically regarding the tracking of entries and 
exits, limitations of the immigration database, biometrics, 
and watchlists.  We received this information from the 
Dominican National Immigration office and reported it in 
reftel B.  Although the immigration office provided the 
Embassy with accurate information, it was not complete 
because Dominican immigration officials do not have access to 
other database systems that include additional watchlists. 
According to the security manager of Santo Domingo's Las 
Americas international airport (a well-connected former 
Dominican military general), Dominican immigration officials 
cannot be trusted.  He added that the daily salary for many 
of the immigration officials at the points of entry (POE) can 
not even cover the cost of gasoline needed to and from work. 
The security manager noted that immigration and customs 
officials regularly accept bribes, (on a recent personal 
trip, econoff saw a Dominican customs official at the 
Santiago airport receive money from a Dominican passenger as 
she attempted to clear her luggage). 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Due to the lack of trust and high levels of 
corruption, the Immigration database contains only the 
information from a system called Impediments to Exit and 
Entry (Impedimento de Salida y Entrada).  This system is a 
local watchlist that informs the immigration official of any 
individual who has a judicial problem within the country.  It 
is managed by the Attorney General's office.  All government 
agencies can submit information to the Attorney General's 
office for review; and if approved, the Attorney General's 
office will add that individual to their watchlist. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - 
ADDITIONAL WATCHLISTS 
- - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶4.  (S) After receiving the information from the Dominican 
immigration office, Embassy sent reftel B in accordance with 
the suspense date.  However, after the London scare in 
mid-August, emboff drove out to Las Americas international 
airport to get a first hand look at the Dominican immigration 
database as well as a tour of the security checkpoints and 
personal meetings with immigration officials, airport 
security, interpol, airport management, and members of the 
National Department of Investigations (DNI-Intelligence). 
 
¶5.  (S) Emboff found that the Dominicans do have watchlists 
that are more robust than the watchlist used in the 
immigration database.  The following is a revision of 
Embassy's answers: 
 
¶A. (SBU)  IS THERE A NAME-BASED WATCHLIST SYSTEM USED TO 
SCREEN TRAVELERS AT POES? 
 
(C) Yes.  The Immigration database has a watchlist that is a 
name-based system and is called Impediments to Exit and 
Entry.  It is found at all entry and exit points at POEs. 
The Department of Investigations also has a name-based 
watchlist, but this system is located only at entry points at 
Dominican POEs. 
 
¶B.  (SBU)  WHAT DOMESTIC SOURCES OF INFORMATION POPULATE THE 
NAME-BASED WATCHLIST, I.E., NAMES OF DEPORTED PERSONS, 
TERRORIST LOOKOUTS, CRIMINAL WANTS/WARRANTS? 
 
(C) The watchlist within the Immigration database is managed 
by the Attorney General's office and consists of individuals 
who have legal and criminal problems in the Dominican 
Republic.  All Dominican law enforcement agencies can submit 
information to the Attorney General's office for review and 
if approved for submission to the watchlist.  An entirely 
separate Intelligence Agency (DNI) watchlist consists of 
information gathered from DNI sources, the national 
directorate for drug control (DNCD), the national police, and 
the J2 (Intelligence) of the Armed Forces.  Emboff confirmed 
that they have terrorist lookouts in their watchlist. 
 
¶C.  (SBU)  WHAT INTERNATIONAL WATCHLISTS DO HOST COUNTRIES 
USE FOR SCREENING INDIVIDUALS? SUCH AS INTERPOL OR TSA NO FLY 
LISTS, UN, ETC. 
 
(C) DNI officials use terrorist watchlists from a variety of 
sources and the Interpol watchlist. 
 
¶D.  (SBU)  HOW ARE WATCHLIST SYSTEMS NETWORKED BETWEEN PORTS 
OF ENTRY (AIR, LAND, SEA)? 
 
(C) According to Dominican officials, all airports and 
seaports are networked via hardline.  The remote border posts 
receive updates via a diskette on a weekly basis. 
 
¶E.  (SBU)  ARE WATCHLIST SYSTEMS LINKED TO A STANDALONE OR 
INTEGRATED IMMIGRATION DATABASE BETWEEN THE IMMIGRATION, LAW 
ENFORCEMENT, AND INTELLIGENCE SERVICES? 
 
(C) Officials claim that the Impediments to Exit and Entry 
watchlist is integrated with local law enforcement and 
intelligence services.  The DNI watchlist is not integrated 
among other government agencies. 
 
¶F.  (SBU)  WHO CAN ACCESS THE WATCHLIST INFORMATION? 
 
(C) Dominican officials state that the immigration office, 
DNI, DNCD, and the national police can all access information 
from the Impediments to Exit and Entry watchlist. Only DNI 
officials have access to the watchlists on the DNI database. 
 
¶G.  (SBU)  WHAT ARE THE POLICIES/PROCEDURES WHEN A 
WATCHLISTED INDIVIDUAL IS ENCOUNTERED? 
 
(C) Immigration and DNI officials state that when an 
individual is found to be on one of their watchlists, he or 
she is escorted to secondary and from there to the 
appropriate law enforcement agency. 
 
¶6.  (S) The separation between DNI and immigration officials 
is not easily noticeable at the POEs.  Upon entering the 
country, passengers are greeted by two immigration officers. 
However, the first "immigration" officer is an undercover DNI 
official who checks the passport's name against their 
watchlists. If no record appears, the officer hands the 
passport to the real immigration official, who collects the 
immigration form and runs the passenger's name against their 
watchlist (Impediments to Exit and Entry).  If no record 
appears, the passenger is allowed to exit the airport. 
 
¶7.  (S) Comment.  The systems that are in place are effective 
only if the officer follows normal procedures.  Due to high 
levels of corruption, low salaries, and a lack of close 
supervision, it is apparent that individuals can slip by if 
they have the connections and the money.  There are no checks 
and balances and if the officer at the immigration desk 
wanted to assist a criminal, the officer would simply an 
incorrect name into the watchlist, so that no record would 
appear.  End Comment. 
 
¶8. (U) Drafted by Chris Davy. 
 
¶9. (U) This report and extensive other material can be 
consulted on our SIPIRNET site, 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/ . 
BULLEN