The United States of America has returned 17,289 convicted criminals to the Dominican Republic since the program began. Of this number, 12,964 were convicted in the US court system and serving sentences for drug-related crimes, says the story published in today?s Hoy newspaper. More alarmingly, however, is the fact that 442 of the expelled were convicted of homicide. Lt. Col. Miroger Reyonoso told reporters from Hoy that 1,839 of the deported Dominicans have no prior offenses in the country and have received certificates of good conduct from the authorities. Most are now gainfully employed as normal citizens. 624 of the returned felons were women.