U.S. Embassy and DNCD complete specialized training to combat illegal drug labs

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic has become the first country in the region to establish a specialized team dedicated to dismantling clandestine drug laboratories, following the completion of its first training program in Santo Domingo. The initiative was led by U.S. Ambassador Leah Campos and the president of the National Drug Control Directorate, José M. Cabrera Ulloa.

The new interagency unit is designed to detect, secure, and dismantle facilities used to manufacture methamphetamines, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and other emerging psychoactive substances. Authorities said the initiative responds to evolving global drug trafficking trends and the significant chemical, environmental, and public safety risks posed by illicit laboratories.

The team brings together personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, the National Institute of Forensic Sciences, the Fire Department, and the National Emergency System 911. Training was conducted by specialists from NOBLE and focused on hazardous-material operations, site security, evidence preservation, and the use of advanced protective equipment. The project is supported technically and financially by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and forms part of the country’s National Strategy on Synthetic Drugs, established under Presidential Decree 585-24. The program was launched amid ongoing bilateral anti-crime cooperation between the Dominican Republic and the United States.