A son and a brother of former Army Captain Quirino Paulino Castillo, who stands accused in the US and the DR of drug smuggling, were sent to the reserves of the DR’s armed forces after their relative’s arrest. Paulino Castillo will face formal judicial charges following the confiscation of a 1,387-kilo shipment of cocaine in Santo Domingo on 18 December 2004. According to military regulations, members of the reserves can be called to active service at any time by the President of the Republic. The reserve forces may use their uniforms in certain cases and draw wages paid by the military. Paulino Castillo’s son is Anderson Paulino Ubri and his brother is Second Lieutenant Quirilio Paulino Castillo, both of whom are among a group of ten military who were at the service of the former army captain, until the day the drug smuggling scandal was made public. Quirino Castillo’s cousin Maximo Castillo Mesa, who was a first lieutenant in the Army, was fired.
Another of the military group in question is pilot Nestor Acosta Dominici, who manned national and international flights for Paulino Castillo’s estate, Hacienda Belkis Elizabeth. Acosta Dominici held a permit to operate these flights from the minister of the Armed Forces at the time, Jose Miguel Soto Jimenez, that was dated 16 February 2004.
Others being investigated are Army Second Lieutenant Jorge Yamil Massin Valdez; Sergeant Bienvenido Mora Castillo, who served as Quirino’s driver; Corporal Roberto de los Santos Duran; and Officer Darly Massih Valdez, whose services were employed at Quirino Castillo’s farm, former Air Force Corporal Pedro Castillo Paniagua, who served under Paulino Castillo and was dismissed for desertion on 11 September 2004; and Air Force officer Ricardo Encarnacion Alcantara, who left the ranks on 18 October 2004.
Armed Forces Minister Sigrido Pared Perez said last week that Paulino Castillo used his influence to enable seven members of his family and several friends to be admitted to the military.