Operation Panthera 7: dismantles major drug trafficking network

Santo Domingo.- The Public Prosecutor’s Office, in coordination with the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) and supported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), launched Operation Panthera 7 to dismantle an international drug trafficking and money laundering network. This operation follows the December 2024 seizure of over 9.8 tons of cocaine, equivalent to 9,889 kilograms, smuggled from Colombia to the Dominican Republic via Bayahibe, La Romana, and Pedernales. The investigation revealed the active complicity of port employees who facilitated the shipment’s concealment within an empty container guarded by armed individuals.

The operation, involving 89 prosecutors and 564 special forces agents, commenced on Saturday, January 11, with arrests and raids targeting the criminal network. Evidence collected during the investigation includes digital data, vehicles, firearms, cash, outboard motors, and documents. Authorities confirmed that intelligence from the DNCD indicated plans to exploit the busy commercial flow in December to move the cocaine through the Caucedo port. In response, Vice Admiral José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa directed increased personnel and tactical unit deployments.

As the investigation progresses, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is preparing to request coercive measures against those arrested. The operation underscores the Dominican Republic’s commitment to combating organized crime and protecting its borders from international drug trafficking.