Luis Abinader warns Haitian gangs: “If they come near, they will have a very bad time.”
The President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, reported this Saturday that he held a conversation with his counterpart from El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, to coordinate logistical and intelligence support related to operations against armed gangs in Haiti, amid tensions arising from the disappearance of four Salvadoran citizens in Haitian territory.
In statements to the press, the Dominican president assured that the Government has significantly increased security in the border area, especially in the south of the country, given the violence affecting the neighboring nation.
“We have reinforced the border, especially the southern border, which is where the gangs operate. And we have reinforced it both in personnel and also in armored vehicles and equipment,” Abinader stated.
The head of state recalled that the Dominican Republic has declared Haitian gangs as terrorist organizations and warned that Dominican authorities are prepared to respond to any attempt at incursion into national territory.
“We will treat them as they are, as terrorists, if they approach the border,” he stated.
Abinader reveals conversation with Nayib Bukele
One of the president’s main announcements was his communication with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to address the security situation in Haiti.
Abinader explained that the Dominican Republic maintains contact with the group in charge of gang-suppression operations and that his administration is willing to collaborate through logistical assistance and intelligence sharing.
“Today we are in communication with the gang suppression group, collaborating with them, and today I also spoke with President Bukele to collaborate logistically in terms of intelligence with the operations they are going to carry out,” he said.
The president did not offer details on the specific scope of the cooperation, nor did he specify what resources the Dominican Republic would make available for the operations.
They are reinforcing surveillance with airplanes, drones, and armored vehicles
Given the security situation in Haiti, Abinader assured that the Dominican Armed Forces maintain deployed human and technological resources to protect national sovereignty.
The measures include increasing military personnel, deploying armored vehicles, and using drones and aircraft to monitor movements near the border.
“We have planes flying over the border, we have armored vehicles nearby, and we also have drones,” he explained.
The president insisted that his administration’s priority is to prevent the violence of Haitian criminal organizations from spreading into Dominican territory.
He also clarified that, up to the time of his statements, these groups had not approached the border, nor were there any indications that this was their immediate intention.
“If they come near, they’re going to have a very bad time.”
Abinader issued a direct warning to armed organizations operating in Haiti, assuring that Dominican authorities will respond to any threat to border security.
“These terrorists are sure that if they go near there, they’re going to have a very, very bad time,” he said.
The president reiterated that the military and security institutions are prepared to face any eventuality.
His statements come amid concerns about the presence of armed gangs in various parts of Haiti and the announced operations to combat them.
Government sees no signs of a new wave of migration
When asked whether the Haitian situation might lead to more citizens attempting to cross into the Dominican Republic, the president assured that, for the moment, authorities have not identified any signs of mass displacement toward the border.
“No, so far we have no signs of that nature,” he replied.
However, he indicated that the Government will continue to monitor developments, particularly in light of planned operations against positions occupied by armed groups.
“What we see is that several special points where those terrorists are located in Haiti are going to be attacked,” he said.
Abinader concluded by reiterating that the Dominican Republic will continue to monitor the situation in the neighboring country and that the border reinforcement responds to the need to prevent any threat to national territory.
The president’s statements highlight the Dominican government’s priority of border security and its offer of logistical and intelligence cooperation, without announcing the direct participation of Dominican troops in operations within Haiti.
