A Police colonel was caught on video confronting noise control agents that had been trying to do their job. The good news is that the agents were protected by cameras that took footage of their actions and the reprimand by the raging Police colonel. This led to an investigation and the suspension of the Jarabacoa chief.
The Ministry of Interior & Police is on a crusade to reduce noise impacting residential areas. The recent video shared on Noticias SIN and social media shows the difficult task those on the noise-fighting units need to deal with, especially when a higher-ranking officer does not agree with their controlling the businesses in their town.
The video circulating widely on social media captures a heated confrontation between a Dominican police colonel and agents from the Alcohol Control Corps (COBA) during an operation in the mountain vacation town of Jarabacoa.
The incident, which occurred on 14 March 2025, unfolded as COBA agents, acting on complaints of excessive noise, attempted to close down a business known as “Panza” in the Pinal Quemado sector. Colonel Abiu Aaron Zilberberg Cabral intervened, attempting to halt the operation and challenged the authority of the agents to act against the noisy business.
In the video, Colonel Zilberberg can be heard making defiant statements such as “I’m in charge here” and “I’m not afraid of generals, COBA, brooms, or buckets,” demonstrating a blatant disregard for institutional authority. He also allegedly threatened the COBA personnel with transfers if they didn’t comply with his demands.
According to official sources, the noise operation began around 8pm with proper authorization. However, the colonel’s intervention escalated tensions, as he ordered the operation stopped.
On Wednesday, 19 March 2025, Diario Libre reported that the police director in Jarabacoa, Colonel Abiu Aaron Zilberberg Cabral, commander of the National Police’s Operational Department 1 in the municipality of Jarabacoa, La Vega province had been suspended. The decision followed the incident involving the colonel and agents from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Program (Coba).
Internal affairs of the Police is investigating the matter after a video surfaced showing Colonel Zilberberg Cabral using his radio to prevent the closure of a business reported for noise pollution. In the video, he orders his subordinates to leave the scene and warns them against defying his authority: “I am the commanding officer, neither you nor COBA are above me, so be careful, let’s respect each other.”
Another clip captures the colonel berating the officers involved in the operation from his office. Both videos were recorded by a camera on one of the officer’s uniforms.
The suspension comes as internal affairs interrogate Colonel Zilberberg Cabral about the incident. It was reported that his role would be temporarily assumed by another officer until the investigation concludes.
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Diario Libre
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El Nacional
20 March 2025