Abinader appoints Andrés Modesto Cruz Cruz as new director of the National Police

Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader ordered the promotion of Andrés Modesto Cruz Cruz to the rank of major general and appointed him director general of the National Police through Decree No. 111-26, marking a new leadership chapter for the institution.

The decision is supported by Articles 255 and 256 of the Constitution and Law No. 590-16, the Organic Law of the National Police, which grants the president authority to appoint the head of the force from among active general officers. The decree also repeals Article 1 of Decree No. 557-23. In the same measure, Ramón Antonio Guzmán Peralta was placed in honorable retirement following the end of his term as police chief and named presidential advisor on police affairs.

Major General Cruz Cruz brings extensive experience in institutional management, oversight, and internal control. Prior to his appointment, he served as Inspector General of the National Police (2023–2026) and previously held senior roles including Director of Internal Affairs, Southern Regional Director, liaison between the Ministry of Defense and the National Police, and Director of Internal Control.

An engineer by training, Cruz Cruz graduated from the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University (UNPHU) and holds a master’s degree in Defense and National Security from the Higher Institute for Defense “General Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez.” His professional development includes specialized training in transformational leadership, criminal investigation, crisis management, energy security, dignitary protection, and international cooperation, with programs completed in the United States, Israel, and Colombia.

Throughout his career, he has received multiple honors, including the Medal of Merit for Public Servants (First Category) and distinctions from the Armed Forces and the National Police, recognizing his service record and commitment to institutional strengthening.