Top US official admits resurging flow of drugs through Hispaniola

Santo Domingo.- US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Affairs revealed Wednesday that through the territory of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic, Haiti) pass an average of 60,000 kilos of cocaine from South America, and lauded Dominican authorities’ cooperation to fight it.

Luis E. Arreaga said Washington is aware of an increase in drug trafficking groups as a result of the of billions of dollars diverted to fight organized crime and improve governance and economic well-being in Central America.

"We’re aware that the increase in the Central America program has the so-called balloon effect, which is that if pressed on one side then the problem goes to the other. We know very well that there’s been an increase in the flow of drugs from South America coming through the Caribbean," the US official said when fielding questions in a video-conference with with reporters from Dominican Republic Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.