Judge jails man charged with hiring Canadian women drug ‘mules’

Higüey, Dominican Republic.- A judge in Higüey (east) sent to one year in prison to await trial, a man charged with heading a ring which allegeldy paid travelers including three Canadian women to smuggle drugs. The ruling comes just one week after the Antinarcotics Agency (DNCD) warned that the postponed arraignments could’ve forced it to drop all charges.

Jose Miguel de los Santos’s arraignment on the charges came after 15 days of postponements which according to judge Edwin Rijo, were forced by his lawyers’ motions.

The DNCD, which arrested de los Santos in mid April, noted that it couldn’t re-apprehend the accused who faces up to 10 years in prison on possession of 5 kilos of cocaine, becuase Rijo hadn’t ruled on the Prosecutor’s motion for incarceration.

De los Santos is charged with hiring the Canadians Carla Lopes, Daniela Maria Pea Ruggiero and Violeta Teresa Pluas to take at least 20 kilos of cocaine to Toronto, but were arrested before boarding a flight in Punta Cana Airport.

The women, who had allegedly made other trips, are being held in Higüey’s jail, together with several Dominicans also charged in the case.