Defense Minister: Dominican Republic border has never been better guarded

Santo Domingo.- Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Carlos Fernández Onofre said Monday that the Dominican Republic has deployed 11,000 soldiers along its border with Haiti as part of an unprecedented modernization and strengthening of the Armed Forces.

During LA Agenda Semanal, Fernández Onofre said the government has expanded military surveillance and security measures along the country’s land, maritime, and air borders.

He said 54.5 kilometers of the intelligent border fence have been completed, with another 13 kilometers and an additional 14-kilometer section in Jimaní expected to be added. The government also plans to inaugurate 38 continuous kilometers of border wall from Manzanillo to Capotillo in December.

The border security system includes solar-powered lighting, fiber-optic networks linked to the Ministry of Defense and its C5i command center, smart cameras, aircraft, naval units, and autonomous drones. According to the minister, the technology enables 24-hour surveillance and detects more than 90% of illicit activities.

Fernández Onofre also highlighted the modernization of military equipment, saying the Armed Forces have added more than 1,400 vehicles over the past six years, including 21 Uro Vamtac armored vehicles, trucks, patrol vehicles, and specialized equipment.

The Defense Ministry is also carrying out 32 infrastructure projects between Montecristi and Cabo Rojo, including the construction of the Third Battalion of the Seventh Brigade in Puerto Plata and the expansion of the Montecristi military company into a battalion.

“At no other time has the border been as well guarded as it is today,” Fernández Onofre said.