Top Dominican prosecutor slams judges who freed Colombian suspects

Santo Domingo.- The Minister Justice on Thursday called the release of two Colombians held on drug and money laundering charges by a National District court a crime just like drug trafficking itself.

Francisco Dominguez slammed the ruling from the judges of the 2nd Appellate Court to release on bond the brothers Huber Osvaldo Buitrago and Angel Maria Buitrago, accused of forming part of a money laundering network busted in December.

"They belong to one of the most dangerous cartels in South America and the Caribbean, who have long used the Dominican territory to launder billions of dollars from illicit financial activities, as well as the movement of drugs to other countries," the official said in a press release.

"These cartels cannot and must not take root in the country. They are people with no scruples, who bribe, kill and destroy the institutions. This type of action undermines the war against these evils, drugs are a cancer that permeates everything and can not continue finding complicity and impunity in our country," Dominguez said.