On Friday, 30 August 2019 in the afternoon, Yadher Rafael Jaquez Araujo (Jaque Mate) became the first to turn himself in to the Dominican law enforcement authorities that are investigating the Cesar Emilio Peralta drug case. Jaque Mate was best known as a major promoter of local artists at the network of major nightclubs owned by the so-called Cesar Emilio Peralta Drug Trafficking Operation (Peralta DTO). His lawyer says the charges are of money laundering. Jaque Mate is sought in extradition by the US government.
Peralta and his associates are accused of operating the largest drug smuggling and money laundering operation in the Caribbean. The drug smuggling and money laundering operation flourished openly in the Dominican Republic for around 20 years, up until 16 July 2019, when the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) of the United States shared with the Dominican Presidency, Attorney General Office and the National Drug Control Agency an extensive file with information on the drug trafficking and money laundering operation. The local authorities acted on the information with a sweep on more than 50 homes and businesses on Tuesday, 20 August. At the time of the raid, no one was arrested. The media reported on how Cesar Emilio Peralta and many of his top men, had spent the weekend before the raid vacationing at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana where the Latin Tour Festival took place with the participation of many top urban and Latin music stars.
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2 September 2019