Dominican Republic and US Navy Collaborate to Seize Cocaine and Destroy Speedboat
Authorities in the Dominican Republic announced on Sunday that they have confiscated a significant amount of cocaine from a speedboat that was recently destroyed by the US Navy. This operation marks the first joint effort between the two nations to combat narco-terrorism in the Caribbean.
In a press conference, the Dominican Republic’s National Directorate for Drug Control (DNCD) revealed that they recovered 377 packages of cocaine from the boat, which allegedly carried 1,000 kilograms (over 2,200 pounds) of the drug. The DNCD stated that the drugs were recovered after “an aerial military strike by the United States against a speedboat of narcoterrorists.”
A spokesperson for the US embassy confirmed that the attack was the one announced by President Donald Trump on Friday, without disclosing the location. The attack resulted in the death of three “male narcoterrorists.” The speedboat was destroyed approximately 80 nautical miles south of Isla Beata, a small island belonging to the Dominican Republic.
According to officials, the Dominican Republic’s Navy worked in conjunction with US authorities to locate the speedboat, which was attempting to dock in the Dominican Republic and use the nation as a “bridge” to transport cocaine to the United States. A video released by officials shows officers unloading and inspecting bricks of the alleged drugs, some bearing the word “MEN” on the packaging.
US Naval Presence in the Caribbean
In August, the US sent eight warships and a submarine to the southern Caribbean as part of a mission to combat drug trafficking. The White House claims that the naval flotilla has destroyed at least three boats carrying drugs, resulting in the death of over a dozen people aboard the vessels.
Human rights groups have criticized the strikes, calling them “extra judicial killings.” Two Democratic senators introduced a resolution in Congress on Friday to block the administration from carrying out further strikes. The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being a drug trafficker and leader of the Cartel of the Suns, which Maduro denies.
The US Navy has increased its presence in the waters off Venezuela, with 10 F-35 fighter jets deployed to Puerto Rico this month for anti-cartel operations. Venezuela has accused the US of seizing a fishing vessel in its exclusive economic zone and detaining nine fishermen for several hours.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report. For more information, visit Here
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