The head of the Dominican National Department for Drug Control (DNCD), Vice-Admiral Ivan Pena Castillo, told reporters that his intelligence officers had uncovered a plot to murder former Colonel Lidio Nin Terrero. Nin Terrero is currently in custody as part of the case involving Quirino Paulino Castillo and the 1,387 kilograms of cocaine that was seized last year. Pena Castillo said that he thought that the plan was to prevent Nin Terrero from testifying in the case. He said that last Friday Nin Terrero was transferred to the courtroom at the Supreme Court building without adequate security measures. According to the DNCD, constant rumors suggested that there was something underfoot that would result in the killing of Nin Terrero. Pena Castillo said that one of those involved in the plot had been arrested and extradited to the United States quite recently. This person had threatened DNCD officers, and was called a “hired killer” by the vice-admiral. DNCD spokesperson, Buenaventura Bueno Torres confirmed the story for Listin Diario and said that the decision to house Nin Terrero in the special holding cells of the DNCD was due to the strong possibility of an assassination attempt.