Prosecutors of the Attorney General Office on Monday, 13 January 2025 requested coercive measures against seven individuals accused of being part of an alleged drug trafficking network dismantled during Operation Panthera 7, which took place over the previous weekend. The operation followed the seizure of 9.8 tons of cocaine at the Multimodal Caucedo Port in eastern Santo Domingo on 5 December 2024. The bust is the largest in the Dominican Republic and the Central America and Caribbean region.
The drugs were reportedly gradually imported to the Dominican Republic through different coastal areas and stashed to prepare for the big shipment.
The suspects include José Nicolás Castillo Hart, known as “Nikito”; Winston Armando Tejera Rodríguez, alias “Barbikin”; Nelson Neftalí Mercedes Lugo; Cristian Rayner Canela Aybar; Enriquillo Luis Brito; Enrique José Luis Brito; and Dulvi Jesús de los Santos.
The accused are currently being held at the San Luis prison in Santo Domingo East. The Public Ministry has requested 18 months of pretrial detention and for the case to be classified as complex. A hearing to review the request is scheduled for Tuesday at 9am.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
14 January 2025