VZCZCXYZ0019
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDG #3438/01 3072053
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 032053Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6590

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 003438 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INL/LP KBROWN, WHA/CAR:DSEARBY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCOR SNAR KCRM DR
SUBJECT: SANTO DOMINGO 2007 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL 
STRATEGY REPORT, VOL. 1: DRUG AND CHEMICAL CONTROL 
 
REF: STATE 154898 
 
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2007 -- 
Volume 1 Drug and Chemical Control 
 
Dominican Republic 
 
---------- 
¶I. Summary 
---------- 
 
¶1. The Dominican Republic (DR) is a major transit country for 
drugs from South America, with cocaine transiting to Europe, 
and both cocaine and heroin transiting to the United States. 
During 2006, the DR dramatically increased major seizures of 
narcotics such as heroin, cocaine and MDMA; continued 
cooperating in extraditions; increased deportations of 
criminals; made advances in domestic law enforcement 
capacity, institution building and interagency networking; 
and made progress in prosecuting major bank fraud and 
government corruption cases. In spite of these positive signs 
however, corruption and weak governmental institutions 
remained an impediment to controlling the flow of illegal 
narcotics. The Government of the Dominican Republic (GODR) is 
a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. End summary. 
 
--------------------- 
II. Status of Country 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. There is no significant cultivation, refining, or 
manufacturing of illicit drugs in the Dominican Republic. 
Dominican criminal organizations are involved in 
international drug trafficking operations, with the 
country,s primary role being a transshipment hub. 
Interdicted MDMA (ecstasy) was most often being transported 
from Europe to the United States. Fishing and "go-fast" crews 
involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean include 
Dominican nationals. 
 
 
------------------------------------------ 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2006 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. Policy Initiatives. Intelligence-sharing plays an 
important part in interdiction efforts. The DEA Center for 
Drug Information (CDI), housed in the DR National Drug 
Control Directorate (DNCD), served as a clearinghouse for 
intelligence within the Caribbean. The DNCD, the law 
enforcement arm responsible for counternarcotics measures, 
and the National Drug Council (CND), the GODR,s policy and 
planning unit, have adopted a computerized system that tracks 
seizures of drug-related assets. The GODR continues to 
struggle to implement anti-money laundering legislation 
passed in 2002, although with US assistance, prosecutors will 
be receiving training on how to deal with cases of 
money-laundering and other complex crimes. The US is also 
working in conjunction with GODR prosecutors and law 
enforcement agencies in conducting joint money-laundering 
investigations, which is providing on the job training to the 
GODR counterparts.  The GODR created a Financial Analysis 
Unit which became operational during 2005 but lacked the 
resources and institutional structure to perform effectively. 
 The Financial Analysis Unit continues to exist by name, but 
is not operational due to the lack of resources and 
institutional structure. The GODR signed the Cooperating 
Nations Information Exchange System agreement allowing the 
installation of equipment to track and respond to suspected 
drug smuggling aircraft headed for the DR. 
 
¶4. Law Enforcement Efforts. In FY 2006, the DNCD increased 
its seizure rate and netted a record single seizure of 
cocaine (2582.3 kilograms) with the cooperation and 
assistance of the DEA and Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS), based on intelligence provided by British Counterparts 
in Jamaica. During FY 2006, overall seizures totaled 5,055 
kilograms of cocaine, 236.8 kilograms of heroin, 363,433.6 
units of MDMA, and 362.4 kilograms of marijuana. The DNCD 
made 8,809 drug-related arrests in FY 2006; of these, 8,563 
were Dominican nationals and 246 were foreigners. 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 the takedown of 
large criminal organizations. 
¶5. In FY2006, the GODR maintained its counternarcotics and 
explosive detection canine units at its international 
airports and major sea ports.  Canine units at the five major 
 
airports in the country received updated explosives training 
and certification in 2006.  The DNCD is purchasing canines 
fro training in drug detection.  Plans are underway to 
establish a canine training location utilizing an Army base 
that is currently in use.  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 to field officers. The United 
States Coast Guard executed two joint maritime operations 
with the Dominican Navy that focused on the human smuggling 
and illicit drug threats from DR to Puerto Rico via maritime 
routes in the Mona Passage. The maritime operations were 
named Op IGUANA I and Op IGUANA II and were executed during 
fall of fiscal year 2006.  The operation objectives was to 
interdict and deter maritime illicit drug,  and human 
smuggling events, invoke the US/DR Ship-rider Maritime 
agreement, and joint maritime operations 
(cutters/boats/aircraft) to  jointly coordinate and 
communicate to effectively cover/patrol the maritime threat 
vectors. 
 
¶6. 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. 
 
¶7. Drug Flow/Transit. In 2006, the DNCD focused interdiction 
operations on the drug-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 2006 originated in 
Venezuela. During the year, drugs were easily accessible for 
local consumption in most metropolitan areas.  In 2006, the 
Dominican Navy focused efforts on shore patrol operations. 
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 kilograms of cocaine.  However, most migrants will 
drop the drugs into the water upon USCG approach, making it 
difficult to determine the exact amounts kept from entering 
the USA. 
 
 
¶8. Extradition. The U.S.-Dominican Extradition Treaty dates 
from 1909. Extradition of nationals is not mandated under the 
treaty, and for many years Dominican legislation barred the 
extradition of nationals. In 1998, President Fernandez signed 
legislation permitting such extraditions and subsequent 
administrations have been responsive to U.S. requests. During 
2005, judicial review was added to the procedure for 
extradition, making extraditions more objective and 
transparent. In 2006, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) 
continued to receive excellent cooperation from the DNCD 
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 26 Dominicans, notable among them Luis de la Rosa 
Montero, the head of a well-organized international drug 
trafficking organization responsible for transporting 
thousands of kilograms of cocaine and heroin into Puerto Rico 
from the DR and neighboring islands using go-fast boats. GODR 
also arrested and deported 21 U.S. and third-country national 
fugitives back to the U.S. for prosecution purposes. Of these 
47 cases, 38 were narcotics-related. Post,s Federal Bureau 
of Investigations (FBI) Office, with the cooperation of a 
special Dominican police unit arrested four American citizens 
and one third country national fugitive who were later 
deported to the US for prosecution.  The five were wanted in 
the US for various felony crimes, including federal drug 
violations. 
 
¶9. Mutual Legal Assistance. The GODR cooperates with USG 
agencies, including the DEA, DHS, FBI, Departments of State 
and Defense and the USMS on counternarcotics and fugitive 
matters. The DR is not party to the OAS Mutual Legal 
Assistance Treaty and no bilateral mutual legal assistance 
treaty is in effect.  Direct requests for judicial 
cooperation continue to be made through letters derogatory, 
but are always scrupulously honored.  The DNCD housed and 
manned the DEA-sponsored CDI at its facilities in Santo 
Domingo. Caribbean countries found the CDI,s intelligence 
analysis services useful and are now both frequent 
contributors and beneficiaries of new information 
 
¶10. 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. Although the GODR has made efforts to 
reduce the influence of narcotics traffickers in the judicial 
system -- removing at least 24 judges from office for 
improperly handing out favorable sentence to known narcotics 
traffickers - in practice, Dominican institutions 
nevertheless remain vulnerable to influence by narcotics 
traffickers.  Aggravating this situation is the fact that 
endemic corruption and favoritism among the GODR,s law 
enforcement elite lead to frequent changes in office among 
its command-level officers, retarding any progress made with 
prior officials. The GODR has neither prosecuted nor 
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.  The GODR has moved forward on implementing the 
2003 Career Law for Prosecutors, graduating 100 newly-hired 
prosecutors from the National School of the Public Ministry 
 
and converting another 27 prosecutors from provisional status. 
 
¶11. The Attorney General pursued several anticorruption 
investigations, at least one of which resulted in the arrest 
of a senior DNCD official for extortion.  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. 
 
¶12. 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. The DR does not import 
or export a significant amount of methamphetamine, 
pseudoephedrine or ephedrine or any other precursor chemicals 
utilized in the manufacture of amphetamines or 
methamphetamines.  The DR has never had a seizure of 
amphetamines or methamphetamines and post only knows of small 
quantities of ephedrine being delivered to pharmaceutical 
companies, and these are being investigated by the DNCD. 
 
¶13. Demand Reduction. The DNCD has conducted 155 sporting 
events and seminars regarding the effects and use of 
narcotics and drugs.  Approximately 300,000 Dominican youths 
participated in these events. Post believes that overall, the 
demand for narcotics in the Dominican Republic is increasing 
in concert with an increase in narcotics transit, simply 
because narcotics are often used as a method of payment for 
transit. No official surveys regarding domestic drug use have 
ever been undertaken due to a lack of resources. 
 
¶14. Agreements and Treaties. The DR is a party to the 1988 UN 
Drug Convention. In 1984, the USG and the GODR entered into 
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 secured permanent 
over-flight provisions. In addition, the Maritime 
Counter-Drug Agreement broadened the scope of operations. The 
GODR signed, but has not yet ratified, the Caribbean Regional 
Maritime Agreement. As mentioned above, the GODR has not yet 
signed the OAS Mutual Legal Assistant Treaty.  The GODR 
signed the Cooperating Nations Information Exchange System 
agreement in 2006. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶15. Bilateral Cooperation. During 2006, the USG continued to 
provide equipment and training to maintain the explosive 
detection canine units, support the DNCD,s vetted special 
investigation unit, enhance DNCD computer training, database 
expansion and systems maintenance support, improve the 
DNCD,s capability to detect drugs smuggled through airports, 
provide training and equipment to enhance the GODR,s 
anti-money laundering capacity. 
 
¶16. 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. In addition, the Dominican Navy benefited from 
numerous USCG courses in Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE) and 
is working towards a self sustaining law enforcement program. 
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. 
 
¶17. Post,s FBI office presented a course on Basic Crime 
Scene Investigation in March 2006.  FBI instructors taught 30 
National Police Officers and 10 prosecutors about the 
collection and preservation of crime scene evidence.  The 30 
police officers that graduated were presented with Crime 
Scene Kits for use in their investigations. 
 
¶18. The Law Enforcement Development Program implemented by 
the Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) to assist in reforming 
the GODR,s National Police progressed more rapidly in 2006. 
The Internal Affairs (IA) has been restructured and is 
operating efficiently. In the last few months, approximately 
60 police officers were terminated who tested positive for 
drug use. IA investigators also completed 20 internal 
investigations against police personnel which were referred 
to the Prosecutor General's office. Deaths as result of 
police involved shootings have declined considerably. A new 
training curriculum for basic police training was developed 
and implemented. A community based policing program was 
initiated in several barrios with preliminary positive 
results.  National Police and Prosecutors continue to receive 
combined training which promises to further enhance 
institutional cohesion. 
 
¶19. The USAID criminal justice and transparency program 
emphasized training for judicial personnel in new criminal 
procedures and the investigation and prosecution of complex 
crimes. The result has been faster case processing, decreased 
pre-trial detention, availability of public defenders and 
prosecutors 24 hours per day, and positive change in the 
justice sector,s attitudes toward presumption of innocence 
of the accused. In 2005, USAID assisted the Public 
Prosecutor,s office in developing and implementing policies 
and procedures for evidence preservation and asset seizure 
and maintenance, given recent policy changes transferring 
these authorities from judges to prosecutors. In 2006, they 
continued to strengthen the forensics lab to improve 
security, handling, and processing of the drugs and arms it 
receives as evidence. 
 
¶20. 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 
2006, the BASC DR chapter expanded to 30 the number of 
companies who met the strict criteria for certification. 
 
----------------- 
¶V. The Road Ahead 
----------------- 
 
¶21. The immediate goals of post,s narcotics control strategy 
remain 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 presented 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 
attention on the information technology and intelligence 
exchange necessary to disrupt narcotics smuggling at 
Dominican land and sea borders and at airports. The USG 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. The USG will push to increase 
operations cooperation between the USCG and the GODR Navy in 
the coming year.  The USG will continue to provide full 
support for the effect measures established such as in law 
enforcement training and the work of Internal Affairs Unit to 
weed out corruption.  Through all the cooperative programs 
between the USG and GODR goals will be achieved. 
HERTELL