According to Vice President Rafael Alburquerque, the previous government administration was complacent about drug trafficking and crime, by allowing the admission of civilians with drug trafficking records into the Armed Forces. As reported in Listin Diario, Alburquerque believes that the fight against crime must be the exclusive responsibility of the police, which is receiving all the support it needs from the Executive Branch to tackle the problem. The VP referred to the case of Julio Cesar Pena, who was arrested when allegedly waiting for the arrival of a small aircraft loaded with drugs on Autovia del Este. Also arrested in the case was Colombian national Juan Jose Ramirez, who was piloting the plane. Investigations revealed that Pena hade entered the Air Force as a first lieutenant pilot, a decision that was made by then Armed Forces Minister, retired Major General Jose Miguel Soto Jimenez, following orders from then President Hipolito Mejia. “This person was admitted into the Armed Forces by the previous administration despite the fact that he had been accused of drug trafficking. That means that the previous administration had a predisposition and a complacent attitude towards drug trafficking and crime”, stated the Vice President. In contrast, the current administration has a zero-tolerance policy towards crime and trafficking through the Democratic Security Program, said Alburquerque.