Dominican Army apprehends dangerous Haitian fugitive

Elía Piña, DR.- Members of the Dominican Republic Army (ERD) from the G-2 Intelligence Directorate and the 11th Infantry Battalion, stationed at the La Estrelleta fortress, apprehended the dangerous Haitian fugitive Clairzier Emase while attempting to enter the country through the municipality of Comendador, Elías Piña province.

Emase, a fugitive wanted by Haitian authorities, was one of the 142 inmates who escaped from the Cabaret civil prison. Upon capture, she was handed over to the Haitian Police for further proceedings.

Haitian authorities had shared information with the Dominican Foreign Ministry regarding profiles of criminals who had escaped from various prisons in their country, warning that they might seek refuge in the Dominican territory along the border.

Responding to this alert, Major General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre, General Commander of the Army, immediately issued instructions to all border posts to remain vigilant. Additional troops were deployed for patrol and intelligence operations along the entire border line to ensure the security of Dominican citizens and safeguard national interests.

In a troubling escalation of violence in Haiti, armed gangs launched an attack on the country’s largest civilian prison, resulting in over 97% of the inmates escaping. Of the 3,696 prisoners, 3,597 managed to flee, with at least fifteen fatalities reported, according to human rights groups and media sources cited by the EFE news agency.

Near the National Penitentiary of Port-au-Prince, where the assault occurred, the bodies of 10 inmates were discovered, as reported by local sources. Pierre Espérance, executive director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), described the situation as a tragedy, emphasizing the presence of numerous casualties.

The Haitian government confirmed injuries among inmates and prison staff during the assault, which aimed to release detainees, particularly those involved in serious crimes such as kidnapping and murder.