Dominican authorities bust ebony trafficker

San José de Ocoa, DR.- The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MMARN) arrested a man and seized 23 planks of ebony wood, a critically endangered species.

The provincial director of the MMARN in San José de Ocoa, Julio César Medina, said the wood smuggler, identified as Víctor Darío Lachapel, was apprehended on Saturday at 9:45 p.m. in the municipality of Sabana Larga while transporting the wood from Rancho Arriba.

Medina added that Lachapel will face a hearing in which the MMARN will be represented by Juana Marielis Yrizarri and the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Defense of the Environment and Natural Resources (Proedemaren) by the deputy prosecutor Ramón Calderón.

Medina said he is confident that the work of the Public Ministry and the appropriate sanctions by the courts will serve as a deterrent to others who want to engage in the illegal trafficking of wood.

He recalled that the ebony tree (Magnolia Pallescens, Green Ebony), endemic to the Dominican Republic, is primarily found in parts of the Cordillera Central, including Jarabacoa, Constanza, and Bonao.

“We are confident that the courts will adequately punish the person responsible for this environmental damage,” he said.

The MMARN is committed to protecting the country’s natural resources. The agency has a number of initiatives in place to combat illegal logging, including increased law enforcement, public education, and the promotion of sustainable forest management.