I'm a black american male who has visited Santo Domingo four times and I'm planning on a fifth. On my third trip there on December of 2008, when I was leaving the country on my way back home. I was standing in the customs line. I was wearing a red baseball cap with a matching red shirt. Suddenly, a couple of narcotics officers pulled me out of line took me into a room and gave me an x-ray. Now, I wasn't doing anything except standing in line. I must say that I was insulted and dissappointed feeling that I was being racially profiled by individuals who were as dark as I am (obviously I wasn't dissappointed enough to stop visiting the country). Here I am a large dark-skinned black male, who in the hell would want to use me as a drug mule? However, I was not under the jurisdiction of the U.S. constitution so I had no intellectual position from which to protest. My question is...Does the Dominican Republic have any kind of protections in their laws similar to the fourth amendment of the U.S. constitution? And just in case anyone was wondering, the x-ray showed nothing and they let me go and I came home.
- Thread starter amolapaz
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What type of searches are illegal in the DR?
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The same has happened to me, more than once, and I am as white as the driven snow. Don't be so quick to play the race card.
Perhaps it was random? Or maybe it was the way you were dressed.
Did you ever consider that?
Perhaps it was random? Or maybe it was the way you were dressed.
Did you ever consider that?
Profiling
A single male travelling alone, regardless of race, is considered an individual more likely to be in possession of drugs or other contraband and the younger the more likely as well. It has nothing to do with race. See how the custom agents looks us in the eyes? The eyes are the windows of the soul, it has been said. They are looking for shiftiness and guilt. They can't search everybody and they try to narrow it down.
A single male travelling alone, regardless of race, is considered an individual more likely to be in possession of drugs or other contraband and the younger the more likely as well. It has nothing to do with race. See how the custom agents looks us in the eyes? The eyes are the windows of the soul, it has been said. They are looking for shiftiness and guilt. They can't search everybody and they try to narrow it down.
You seem insulted (justifiably) but at the same time when you said "who would want to use you as a mule" you kind of justify their action.
Regarding your question the only right you have is to vent in this forum for as long as you want.
Hope you come back soon!.
Come on, guys ! Don't be so hypocritical !
Of course it has a lot to do with race: the guy is dark black, and if he was wearing those red hat & T-shirt in a rap/reggaeton style, he would look like a poster-child from a Hollywood movie, caricaturing a drug-smuggling gangster !
Just put yourself in the shoes of the DNCD folks, I can hear them from here: -"?Mirate ese moreno! Vamo' a checkearlo, no se ve como un turi'ta... Ademas tiene que andar con drogas, ya que se viste como un tiguere..."
Just for a test, next time you travel, be dressed like you go to church. I bet you they won't search you ! (or at least, you'll have less probability...)
Of course it has a lot to do with race: the guy is dark black, and if he was wearing those red hat & T-shirt in a rap/reggaeton style, he would look like a poster-child from a Hollywood movie, caricaturing a drug-smuggling gangster !
Just put yourself in the shoes of the DNCD folks, I can hear them from here: -"?Mirate ese moreno! Vamo' a checkearlo, no se ve como un turi'ta... Ademas tiene que andar con drogas, ya que se viste como un tiguere..."
Just for a test, next time you travel, be dressed like you go to church. I bet you they won't search you ! (or at least, you'll have less probability...)
As previously mentioned it was probably just a random search. I get picked out of the crowd just about every time leaving the DR. Upon arrival I am always the lucky guy to be singled out. I usually have a large cardboard box and this raises suspicion. Customs will open the cardboard box to inspect the contents but never bother to check my luggage.
If that is not bad enough I get extra screening when leaving my country because I have a lot of "electronics" in my carry on.
Just ignore it and enjoy the DR.
P.S.
If that is not bad enough I get extra screening when leaving my country because I have a lot of "electronics" in my carry on.
Just ignore it and enjoy the DR.
P.S.
Wearing red probably didn't help much either. LOL
Always race...."Why they pcikin on me?" IT AIN'T RACE! It's a numbers game...and they pick single travelers because it's easier...(and they're most likely to be runnin dope)
Everytime I leave the U.S.A. I get pulled from the line and stuck in the "puffer" scanned for explosives...I do not look like or practice Islam...nor do I dress like a thug....they pull "me".
I was stopped (bumped) by two DR plain clothes guys my very first trip leaving SDQ....spoken to, let go, then SEARCHED as I walked down the gangway to the plane....they pulled me out, searched my bag, took my disposible razor and sent me on my way.
I've been looked at every time I leave SDQ because I carry close to 20 bags of coffee back to the U.S. every trip...at one point the x-ray girl knew me....and they simply "verified" my back pack. I show them the receipt for the coffee purchase....and it's done.
Anyone can carry dope...big black guys, big white guys, medium height Europeans, Chinese....you name it there's "one" in a jail somewhere for DOPE.
When I buy I deck of cards, I always throw "the Jokers" away...do the same with the deck of cards of life......throw the race card away and start living....and as a few other posters have said....dress accordingly...and if you must, dress down...just to avoid the hassle.
Everytime I leave the U.S.A. I get pulled from the line and stuck in the "puffer" scanned for explosives...I do not look like or practice Islam...nor do I dress like a thug....they pull "me".
I was stopped (bumped) by two DR plain clothes guys my very first trip leaving SDQ....spoken to, let go, then SEARCHED as I walked down the gangway to the plane....they pulled me out, searched my bag, took my disposible razor and sent me on my way.
I've been looked at every time I leave SDQ because I carry close to 20 bags of coffee back to the U.S. every trip...at one point the x-ray girl knew me....and they simply "verified" my back pack. I show them the receipt for the coffee purchase....and it's done.
Anyone can carry dope...big black guys, big white guys, medium height Europeans, Chinese....you name it there's "one" in a jail somewhere for DOPE.
When I buy I deck of cards, I always throw "the Jokers" away...do the same with the deck of cards of life......throw the race card away and start living....and as a few other posters have said....dress accordingly...and if you must, dress down...just to avoid the hassle.
I'm a single white male who travels alone frequently enough from the DR and while they don't put me personally through the xray, they have checked my bags on occaision after it goes through the scanner. The drug guys have confronted me and asked me questions as well.
What's funny though is when I get in the States they seem to do an explosives check on me, I think I've had 5 or 6 to date.
What's funny though is when I get in the States they seem to do an explosives check on me, I think I've had 5 or 6 to date.
Come on
Uhhhhhmmmm........ What? :ninja:
Are you saying US Officials took your money before you boarded a plane for DR? :surprised
Uhhhhhmmmm........ What? :ninja:
Are you saying US Officials took your money before you boarded a plane for DR? :surprised
I think the question the OP poses is one of unlawful searches and seizures and if there is something similar to the 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution in the Constitution or laws of the Dominican Republic. An ancillary question is, if there is something similar, how is it enforced. I would also like to know the answer to that.
Surely you mean the immigration line as one does not clear customs on the way out of the DR.
Too bad the growing drug trafficking problem in the DR is now affecting the average visitor. I have yet to be questioned on my way out of the DR, other than "how long were you here?", thank god!
Actually when you are leaving the3 country to the us isnt it a pre-screening for the US, as in they are employed by the embassy? They could be under contract, but for some reason I believe this is the case. In canada there is a special line when flying into the states, and there are different procedures in place than if you are flying anywhere else in the world. Can anyone elaborate?
If I prematurely reached for the "race card", I humbly apologize. However, when faced with incidences of racial profiling in the U.S., in which I unfortunately had to undergo on more than one occasion, though I am and have always been a law-abiding citizen, I think that it is only natural to feel a little sensitive when faced with these situations. Especially, taking into account that I didn't see them bringing any whites into the x-ray room only young black males such as myself. When I asked the question...Who in the hell would use me as a drug mule? I must assume that one would have to be a person of color from the U.S. to understand. It is a known fact that numerous instances of racial profiling exist in my country. It's no secret anywhere in the world. Why would someone be interested in using someone who looks like me knowing that from birth I fit the "profile?" While those police officers were x-raying me, all of those innocent looking young girls (regardless of race) were moving in and out and around the airport unmolested. However, back to my original question, Are there any laws in the Dominican Republic that are similar to the fourth amendment of the U.S. constitution?
So you got picked out of a line, it happens, get over it, move on.
Maybe they had a tip off, black male, possibly carrying drugs etc.
Enough of the race BS! Any more reference to white, black or profiling and this thread is closed.
No USA style fourth amendment laws here. In the words of Joaqu?n Balaguer...
"Remember, the constitution is just a piece of paper".
Maybe they had a tip off, black male, possibly carrying drugs etc.
Enough of the race BS! Any more reference to white, black or profiling and this thread is closed.
No USA style fourth amendment laws here. In the words of Joaqu?n Balaguer...
"Remember, the constitution is just a piece of paper".
Exactly.
This is the problem with the US nowadays. It?s filled with whiney crybabies.
I am happy to see the back of that place.
they search randomly and of course single travellers like myself are on top of the random selections.
an other point is the frequency of travelling to the same country,
that a few years back explained a german "Kripo" cop to me when i asked him why they pulled me over again. it been my 3rd travel DR-germany within 14 months, that pops up on Customs records for a single white male.
why to blame always everything on the race card?
Mike
an other point is the frequency of travelling to the same country,
that a few years back explained a german "Kripo" cop to me when i asked him why they pulled me over again. it been my 3rd travel DR-germany within 14 months, that pops up on Customs records for a single white male.
why to blame always everything on the race card?
Mike
Let's put aside the race card thing. Am I the only one here who believes that law enforcement should have at the very least a reasonable suspicion, if not a probable cause to believe, that a crime is being committed and that the person has committed or is committing a crime before that person is stopped, ex-rayed, frisked, searched, or arrested? Is something, that I believe to be a basic freedom not to be interferred with, ridiculous and the product of a soft society? Should a civilized society expect anything less? And NO, the Constitution is NOT 'just a piece of paper', unless, of course, you are in the Dominican Republic! This 'race card' discussion is really irrelevant to the basic question of individual freedoms and liberties, IMO.
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oh my i have been on trips threw customs many times dressed like a drugged up yung white man and my church going family members (and they look it) have been searched in customs more than I its just a guessing game for them most of the time get over it
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