Dominican Army detains 12,556 Haitians at the border in just 26 days

SANTO DOMINGO. — In just 26 days of intensified operations, the Dominican Army (ERD) detained 12,556 Haitian citizens who were attempting to enter the country illegally through different stretches of the Dominican-Haitian border, according to the report released by the institution this Tuesday.

The detentions took place between September 21 and October 17, 2026, in the areas of responsibility of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Infantry Brigades. The highest concentration was recorded in the 4th Brigade zone, with 4,909 interventions, and those detained were turned over to the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) for the corresponding procedures, the Army reported.

On the contraband front, military units seized 223,935 units of goods and supplies brought in illegally, including 214,380 cigarettes of various brands, 3,189 bottles of alcoholic beverages —1,921 of rum, 1,275 of whisky and 51 of clerén—, more than 1,200 energy drinks, dairy products and other food items.

The military report also indicates that 62 people were detained for their alleged involvement in migrant trafficking, contraband, cattle rustling, robbery and undocumented movement; 37 of those detentions occurred in the 4th Brigade area. The brigades also retained 222 vehicles allegedly used in offenses and crimes in the border zone —mostly motorcycles— and seized a pistol and a portion of a substance believed to be marijuana.

The operations had the support of the Army's Intelligence Directorate (G-2), and the General Command reaffirmed that it will maintain permanent surveillance at strategic points along the border to safeguard national sovereignty and combat transnational crime.

Photo: MDX News

Source: MDX News / Dominican Army.