Miguel Cocco, the director of the Customs Department, is fighting a battle against cancer, and is currently in a serious condition at the CEDIMAT medical center in Santo Domingo. First reports were that he entered the clinic with “indigestion”, but this was quickly diagnosed as being heart-related. The high-ranking PLD member was fitted with a pacemaker and given dialysis for his on-going kidney problems. Cocco has had two bone marrow transplants and has been undergoing dialysis for nine years due to chronic kidney disease. Doctors are monitoring his progress.