DNCD seizes more than a ton of alleged cocaine off Pedernales and arrests three Colombians

Santo Domingo — The Dominican National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) announced Tuesday the seizure of 1,068 packages of alleged cocaine, more than a metric ton, off the coast of Pedernales province, in a maritime operation that ended with the arrest of three Colombian nationals.

According to the anti-narcotics agency, the interception took place several nautical miles southwest of Beata Island, after intelligence reports warned of a go-fast boat moving suspiciously toward Dominican territory with a possible controlled-substance shipment. The pursuit lasted several hours.

On the 40-foot Go Fast vessel, agents found 36 bales containing the packages, wrapped in adhesive tape and marked with logos attributed to drug-trafficking networks. They also seized two 300-horsepower outboard engines, 12 fuel tanks, three batteries, a Starlink satellite communication device, a mobile phone, two GPS navigators and water supplies.

The operation involved DNCD agents, the Dominican Navy and Air Force, under the coordination of the Public Prosecutor's Office and with support from U.S. and international agencies, including the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS), U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the DEA, the INL and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The three detainees will be brought before the Pedernales Public Prosecutor's Office for coercion hearings on alleged violations of Law 50-88, on drugs and controlled substances. The shipment was transferred, under chain of custody, to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF), which will determine the type and exact weight of the substance.

According to the DNCD, during 2026 Dominican security forces have seized more than 34,000 kilograms —over 34 tons— of narcotics-linked substances, in operations against transnational organized crime structures.

Photo: MDX News

Source: MDX News