In a joint operation, the Specialized Border Security Corps (Cesfront) and the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD), coordinated by the Public Ministry, seized a suspected marijuana shipment weighing 4,836 pounds, along with eleven additional packages of what is believed to be cocaine. The marijuana is suspected to have been smuggled from Jamaica to Haiti and then into the Dominican Republic.
The seizure represents the largest quantity of suspected marijuana ever confiscated at the Dominican-Haitian border and took place after the surveillance and monitoring in Pedernales province on the southern land border with Haiti has been stepped up given the chaos in Port-au-Prince area across the border.
Cesfront and DNCD personnel, as part of enhanced interdiction efforts, intercepted a propane gas tanker truck on the highway between Pedernales and Oviedo, near the Olivares agricultural area. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled upon noticing the operational teams.
Following instructions from the prosecutor, the Anbalgas truck, a Freightliner tanker with license plate L509382, was transported to the Pedernales military operations base. Hidden inside the gas tank, authorities discovered 1,043 packages of suspected marijuana weighing approximately 4,836 pounds, as well as eleven packages of a white powder believed to be cocaine. These packages were sealed with tape and marked with various logos.
The substance samples have been sent to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif) for further analysis to determine the exact type and weight of the seized cargo.
The authorities reported that the truck appeared to be a propane gas transporter, but inside had been prepared for trafficking narcotics. The truck is registered to Héctor Manuel Méndez Rodríguez. Authorities are urging him to surrender through proper channels.
The Public Ministry and DNCD report they are intensifying investigations to apprehend and bring to justice members of these drug trafficking networks.
The anti-narcotics agency highlighted the support of the Armed Forces, the Attorney General’s Office, and state intelligence agencies, which has led to the seizure of over 20 tons of various drugs in 2025. These figures continue to position the country as a leader in the fight against drug trafficking in the region.
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CDN
Diario Libre
19 May 2025