DEA confirms no Sinaloa Cartel presence in Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has confirmed that the suspected members of the Sinaloa Cartel are no longer in the Dominican Republic, countering rumors of the cartel’s presence in the country. DEA Caribbean spokesperson Tony Velázquez backed statements made by Dominican authorities, including President Luis Abinader, affirming that there is currently no operational cell of the Mexican criminal group on Dominican soil. He emphasized the ongoing collaboration between the DEA and Dominican institutions, noting that investigations are continuing to locate the cartel-linked individuals who have since exited the country.

Authorities confirmed that two of the suspects—Daniel Eduardo González Zavala and Daniel Hiram Jáquez Ortega, members of “Los Rugrats,” an armed faction of the Sinaloa Cartel—were briefly in the Cibao region in January, though no arrest warrants existed at the time. Their visit prompted an investigation that led to the dismantling of a drug trafficking and money laundering network through Operation Jaguar. Alerts have now been issued, at the DEA’s request, for four cartel associates, including González Zavala and Jáquez Ortega. DNCD President Vice Admiral José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa reaffirmed that there is no cartel base or active operation in the country.