Police bust ring smuggled Cubans to US via Haiti- Dominican route

Santo Domingo.- The Navy and the National Police yesterday busted a people trafficking network which smuggled Cubans to Haiti and Dominican Republic, to then cross the Mona Passage to U.S. territories.

Cuban nationals Vladimir Meléndez and Mailer Lorenzo, and Dominicans Angel Familia Rivera and Carlos Manuel Núñez were arrested in a sweep coordinated by Navy intelligence with police agents.

The police said it seized a Ruger pistol from Nuñez and documents from the Cubans, among other belongings.

Also being held are the Cubans Yorelis Pentón Burgos, Alfredo Zayas Valdez, Bonet Piñeiro Machado, Roberto Felipe Labranza, Yoani Pina Rodriguez and Dianely Velásquez.

The police said the network’s members charged an unspecified amount of money to smuggle the Cubans into Haiti, and cross the border into Dominican Republic, where they established residency in towns of Santiago and then travel to Puerto Rico and other islands.