Border Security chief upbeat on announced measures

Santo Domingo.- Border Security (Cesfront) director Sugar Frugis Martinez on Thurs. announced new actions to secure border and confront the traffic of undocumented immigrants, coal, merchandise and drugs.

He said Cesfront supports Immigration to repatriate more than 124,000 undocumented aliens handed over to inspectors at border crossings last year.

“In 2017 and so far in 2018 more than 205,000 pounds of garlic were seized, 18,374 bags of coal, the incineration of 579 ovens to make charcoal, 1,565 sacks of guaconejo, 5 million cigarettes, 3,445 pounds of marijuana, 2,156 gallons of moonshine among other merchandise which they tried to introduce into Dominican territory in an irregular manner across the border,” the official said.

He said Cesfront border agents counted on the support by Defense minister Rubén Darío Paulino.

He said president Danilo Medina’s recent pledge to boost surveillance with drones will deal with the most vulnerable points along the border.