The chief of the Justice Department, Francisco Dominguez Brito, has told the press that the people that want to eliminate former army Colonel Lidio Nin Terrero belong to the drug cartels responsible for distributing drugs in and out of the Dominican Republic. Dominguez Brito said that one of the alleged would-be murderers was Freddy Gaston Ramos, a hired killer used by the cartel to collect outstanding debts. Gaston Ramos is to be extradited to the United States in the next few hours on an indictment for homicide. According to the Attorney General, the life of accused drug trafficker Quirino Paulino Castillo was also in danger before he was extradited. Because of the threats to people like Nin Terrero, prisoner security has been beefed up at Najayo prison in San Cristobal. Two of the new measures are different visiting days and the secret transfer of prisoners without informing the prison director. Dominguez Brito was quite clear when he said that “powerful people want to kill Nin Terrero.” He said that because both Quirino and Nin Terrero are key players in the case, their lives are at risk.