The Barahona Ecological Society (Soeba) stated that high-ranking Army officers are responsible for chopping down precious-wood trees for sale. Engineer Pedro Olivero Garcia told El Caribe that on Saturday 10 July he observed an Army truck with plate number E00518 carrying logs of mahogany en route from Barahona to Santo Domingo. Olivero Garcia said that on a separate occasion, after receiving a complaint, he visited the municipality?s slaughterhouse, where forest rangers confiscated a mahogany tree trunk and 600 feet of wood planks. The owner of the slaughterhouse said the trunk was destined to an unnamed Army general. Minutes later, an Army colonel in an official vehicle with plate number LDU87 appeared to remove the wood planks.
Olivero Garcia said he spoke with the head of the forestry department at the Environment Ministry in the Enriquillo area, who stated that the Army does these things behind their backs.