Network of drug traffickers with roots in several countries dismantled

SD. The National Directorate for Drug Control (DNCD) announced yesterday the disarticulation of a powerful network of international drug traffickers, composed of citizens of seven countries. The group allegedly undertook the preparation of aircraft in the country, which were later used for moving cocaine from Venezuela to Central America and the Caribbean, and from there to the United States.

According to the investigation carried out by the DNCD with the support of the Attorney General of the Republic, the Drug Enforcement Agency from the United States, and authorities from the United Kingdom, the aircraft were acquired in the United States, taken to the Bahamas, and brought to the Dominican Republic. Here they were given greater range and a larger fuel load and they were mounted with air navigation equipment and communication gear. Then, using legal methods, they left from Dominican airports to the Venezuelan state of Apure, where they took on the load of cocaine which was later flown to Honduras and from there to the United States.

In relation to this case, 15 persons, including civilians and military personnel, are being held by the Justice Department, and it is expected that they will be arraigned on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.

According to the commander of the DNCD, Major General Rolando Rosado Mateo, the network-which they have been tracking for a year-was the owner of the airplane with tail number N711WX which crashed last week in Tireo, Constanza. He said that the 14 June Expedition Airport in Constanza was used supposedly to prepare the aircraft. The network also received facilities in airports in Santiago and Puerto Plata.

All told, the group was formed by Dominicans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Puerto Ricans, Americans, Jamaicans and Bahamians, with Colombian-Mexican roots as well. The authorities managed to document the operation of 12 airplanes that transported drugs. In the enterprise, they used personnel at the different terminals, so that the aircraft took off with normal flight codes, which made their detection difficult.

As evidence of their actions, the authorities seized five aircraft and eight properties worth millions of pesos. Nonetheless, the DNCD commander said that they are locating other assets.

Officer died undercover

Rolando Rosado Mateo explained that the Police captain, Antony Eduardo Leyba Perez, who died in the small plane that crashed in Constanza, was an undercover agent from the DNCD who had penetrated the drug trafficking network. Although he did not belong to the DNCD, he was on loan from the National Police in order to carry out this difficult mission. According to Rosado Mateo, Leyba Perez was allowed to penetrate deep into the cartel. Moved by his daring, Rosado Mateo said that the dDNCD will now take charge of the agent's mother, who during the funeral asked him who would watch out for her from now on. In the meantime, the Chief of Police, Jose Armando Polanco Gomez, said that the social security system of the National Police would pass on the benefits to the widow and son.

The arrested

Among those arrested in this case are some well known names, such as Rafael Rosado, the owner of the Caribair firm, Sergio Rene Gomez Diaz, a well known businessman in Santiago, and Jose Vicente Figueroa Ortiz. Five foreigners also fell together with Dominicans, Danny Salvador Ramirez Cabral, Christian Suarez Javier, and Victor Hugo Sanchez. There were also military personnel involved: Juan Ramon Rosado Perez, Henry Francisco Valdez Garcia, Jose Antonio Cleto and the former private Carlos Manuel Ramirez.

"A year ago we dismantled the first group, but we missed the support business. This group had escaped us for some time now, because this Rafael Rosado had been carrying out operations covered up by a weakness that we have as a country," stressed Rosado Mateo.

A deported millionaire is one of those arrested

One of the persons arrested is Sergio Rene Gomez Diaz, a well known businessman in Santiago, who was deported six years ago after serving time for drug trafficking in the United States. In spite of this rap sheet, in this country he behaved like a normal citizen and he was the owner of several properties, including Plaza Hermanos Gomez Diaz and the famous cabaret Passion Night Club, in Santiago.

Rosado Mateo asks Justice to accept the proofs provided

After complaining about the weakness in the legislation which the country has because of the lack of a law on organized crime, the commander of the DNCD said that in order to accuse this group they had to base the case on circumstantial evidence. Regarding this he called upon the judges "for the country's destiny" to take this under consideration. He said that on the judiciary's answer depends on whether or not the country is taken over by narcos or not.