Drug trafficking network led by Dominican dismantled in Italy

Italy.- Italian authorities have dismantled a major drug trafficking ring operating in northern Italy, arresting 23 suspects, including a 40-year-old Dominican man identified as one of the group’s leaders. The operation, led by the Treviso Prosecutor’s Office, involves individuals from multiple nationalities—15 Dominicans, four Italians, two Moroccans, one Cuban, and one Ecuadorian—aged between 24 and 53. They face charges related to drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms.

The criminal network primarily operated in Treviso but extended to other northern regions such as Veneto and Emilia-Romagna. The investigation, launched in June 2023, revealed the group’s method of concealing cocaine in hidden compartments within vehicles. Two suspects, aged 44 and 24, are still missing despite being under pretrial detention orders.

Additionally, on June 5, Interpol and Dominican authorities arrested 57-year-old José Rafael García Tejada in San Francisco de Macorís. He was wanted in Italy under a red notice for alleged involvement in a criminal organization, drug trafficking, and money laundering.