Attorney General issues new guidelines to combat migrant smuggling

Santo Domingo.- Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso has issued the “General Instruction for the Investigation of Smuggling of Migrants,” reinforcing efforts to dismantle criminal networks involved in migrant trafficking. This directive accompanies the recent creation of the Unit for the Investigation of Smuggling of Migrants and Related Crimes (UITIMC), established by the Superior Council of the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Executive Branch’s suggestion.

Dated April 25, 2025, the instruction mandates that prosecutors prioritize cases where public officials, military, or police members are implicated in migrant smuggling, extortion, or bribery. In such instances, authorities must immediately request the suspension of those involved through appropriate channels.

Prosecutors are also instructed to freeze assets—including bank accounts, properties, and vehicles—linked to individuals or groups engaged in smuggling operations. Furthermore, vehicles proven to be used in migrant trafficking must be seized and prepared for confiscation.

Recognizing migrant smuggling as a highly complex and profitable form of organized transnational crime, the Public Prosecutor’s Office emphasizes that the UITIMC, operating under the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office against Illicit Trafficking of Migrants and Human Trafficking (PETT), led by Yoanna Bejarán, will focus on dismantling these criminal networks.