Dominican authorities announced on Tuesday, 5 August 2025 the seizing of a record haul of liquid cocaine in Santo Domingo province. After what is described as “a meticulous five-day operation”, agents from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD), in collaboration with the Public Ministry, forensic analysts, and military security personnel, were able to confiscate the historic shipment of liquid cocaine at the Multimodal Caucedo Port. The illicit substance, with a total weight of 137 kilograms, was concealed within bottles of juices and soft drinks.
Acting on intelligence reports, anti-narcotics agents and military officials intervened a freight container destined for export, which contained more than 46,000 bottles of beverages. The inspection revealed a suspicious substance in one of the bottles, immediately triggering a full-scale operational protocol.
The extensive operation, which began last weekend and concluded on mid-day on Tuesday, 5 August 2025, involved several prosecutors, 20 forensic analysts, 29 administrative technicians, and DNCD officials. The entire cargo was moved to a secure location for forensic analysis.
Experts from the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF), led by director Dr. Sonia Lebrón, analyzed all 46,944 bottles, which were equivalent to 2,786 bundles. Of these, 623 containers tested positive for cocaine, with a final weight of 137.28 kilograms.
A spokesperson for the DNCD stated: “This seizure represents the largest case of liquid cocaine ever confiscated in the history of the fight against drug trafficking in the Dominican Republic.”
According to the cargo manifest, the container was en route to Spain. Preliminary investigations suggest that criminal networks operating within the country tampered the beverages.
“Drug trafficking organizations continuously implement new techniques to evade controls, which forces us to perfect our detection and response strategies,” the spokesperson added.
The DNCD says that the commercial brands on the labels of the contaminated drinks are not implicated in the case. The cargo was acquired in bulk by an exporting company that is now under investigation.
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DNCD
N Digital
6 August 2025