DEA office supervisor arrested in Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — A supervisor at the DEA office in the Dominican Republic was arrested as part of an investigation into the abuse of a U.S. confidential informant visa program, a federal official and a former official with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The AP agency reported that the arrest comes after President Donald Trump‘s administration unexpectedly shut down its anti-narcotics office in the Caribbean nation hours earlier on Thursday, calling it a ” disgusting and dishonorable breach of public trust .”

Melitón Cordero was arrested as part of an investigation led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the two people said, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

The Associated Press reported that no further details about the arrest were released and that there was no response to messages left on Cordero’s cell phone. Neither the DHS nor the DEA immediately responded to a request for comment.

EU Prosecutor’s Office

Furthermore, Listín Diario was informed yesterday that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in Washington is the only entity that can provide further details about the ongoing investigation into the “temporary” closure of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in Santo Domingo.

The information was provided by Chelsia Hetrick, Public Diplomacy Counselor at the US Embassy, ​​after being consulted by LISTÍN DIARIO.

“We appreciate your interest. At this time, we have no further comment beyond what the Ambassador has already stated. For any inquiries related to this case, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.,” Hetrick said via text message.

DEA office closes

The statements come after U.S. Ambassador Leah Campos announced Thursday afternoon the closure of the DEA office in Santo Domingo, without specifying a particular reason. However, in her message, the diplomat stated that she “will not tolerate corruption,” rejecting any attempt by an official to use “their official position for personal gain.” In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic indicated that the country remains a “key partner” in the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean region and that the closure of the DEA office does not change that.

In the same post, shared on social media, the embassy stated: “The temporary closure of the DEA office in Santo Domingo is intended to allow time for an internal investigation by this Embassy. The Dominican Republic remains a key partner in our work to combat narco-terrorism throughout the region. That work will continue at the same robust pace between the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo and our Dominican partners, even while our internal investigation is underway.”

Dominican government reaction

Meanwhile, the Dominican government expressed itself through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Álvarez , who indicated that the decision has no relation whatsoever to the Dominican government or official.

“I just spoke with the US ambassador, Leah Campos, who informed me that the reason for the closure of the DEA office in the Dominican Republic is motivated by an internal investigation by her embassy and categorically has no relation whatsoever to the Dominican government or official,” Álvarez stated.

So far, no further details have been given regarding the findings of the investigation carried out by the US embassy.