Cardinal slams release of airline owner, 9 others in drug trafficking case

Santo Domingo.- Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez on Tuesday slammed the release of 10 people accused of forming part of a drug trafficking organization, which used the country as a operations center, with twin-engine planes to fly drugs to the U.S.

The head of the country’s Catholic Church referred to the of National District Instruction Court judge’s release the 10 people on bond on Monday, among them Rafael S. Rosado Fermín, owner of regional airline Caribair, charged with forming part of the drug trafficking ring.

In addition to Rosado, judge Elka Reyes ruled for the release of Sergio René Gómez Díaz, Cristian Antonio Javier Suarez, Jose Luis Vera Marquez, José Antonio Cleto Cruz, Victor Hugo Sánchez Portes, Henry Francisco Valdez García, José Vicente Figueroa Ortiz and Lt. Col. Juan Ramon Rosado Perez.