Dominican Republic and Chile sign agreement to fight human trafficking

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic and Chile have signed a landmark agreement to establish a joint investigation team to combat human trafficking, migrant smuggling, money laundering, and other forms of transnational organized crime.

The agreement was signed by Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso and Chilean National Prosecutor Ángel Valencia Vásquez, who highlighted the importance of strengthening international cooperation against cross-border criminal networks.

According to the Dominican Attorney General’s Office, this is the first time the country has created a joint investigation team under the framework of the United Nations’ Palermo Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

Reynoso said the initiative reinforces the Public Prosecutor’s strategy to combat human trafficking—described as a form of modern slavery—through coordinated efforts with institutions including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Directorate of Migration, the National Intelligence Directorate, and the Ministry of Defense. She noted that prosecutors from both countries had already been collaborating before the agreement was formally signed.

For his part, Valencia said the agreement provides a practical mechanism for prosecutors and police officers from both nations to conduct joint investigations, share intelligence and best practices, and strengthen efforts to dismantle criminal organizations involved in trafficking and migrant smuggling.

The one-year agreement also covers cooperation in investigating money laundering, corruption, and economic crimes linked to organized criminal networks. Authorities will coordinate investigations, exchange information and evidence, identify those responsible, prosecute offenders, seize illicit assets, and prioritize the protection of victims of human trafficking.