US, Dominican Justice boost pact to share seized assets

Washington.- US Attorney General Eric Holder and Dominican par Radhamés Jiménez yesterday signed an agreement via which both Governments will share the assets seized from criminal organizations, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.

The agreement acknowledges the Dominican authorities’ cooperation with Washington in the confiscation of assets from criminal groups, the DOJ said, noting that the cooperation of Dominican law enforcement “has been indispensable in our efforts to recover million dollars in assets from of criminals located abroad.”

“In a world in which the criminals increasingly operate beyond the borders, the strengthening of the international alliances is critical. Today’s agreement will serve as a useful and highly beneficial tool to share assets in the future,” Holder said in a statement.

Fraud and theft

Washington and Santo Domingo will “return all the profits derived from fraud and robbery” to repay the victims, the pact stipulates, and expedites the steps required to share them, by dispensing with individual agreements in each case.

AGREEMENT: www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/April/12-ag-502.html