After a week of intensive ground operations, US FBI federal agents and Dominican investigators have concluded that three-year-old Brianna Genao, who vanished on New Year’s Eve, may still be alive and could have been abducted to the United States.
The investigation reached a pivotal turning point on Monday, 19 January 2026 as the FBI withdrew its physical search teams from the community of Barrero in Imbert, Puerto Plata. While the boots-on-the-ground phase has ended, Interpol has escalated the case by issuing a Yellow Alert, officially marking Brianna as a high-priority missing person.
The investigation shifts North
The search for Brianna has taken on a transcontinental dimension. While the child lived in the Dominican Republic with her grandmother, her mother resides in the United States. Interpol’s latest advisory specifically notes that the child “may have visited” or been taken to the US, prompting a shift from physical recovery to international intelligence gathering.
The FBI’s involvement began last week, deploying specialized canine units and technical experts to navigate the rugged terrain of Puerto Plata. Despite a suspension of the search on Friday due to severe weather, the focus has now moved behind the scenes.
“The [FBI] continues to collaborate in the investigation through analysis and intelligence,” stated Faride Raful, the Dominican Minister of Interior and Police, emphasizing that the withdrawal from the field does not mean the case is closed.
Local outcry and community demands
As official search parties dwindled to a small contingent of military personnel, frustration grew among the child’s paternal relatives. On Sunday, 18 January 2026, a peaceful march was held starting in Barrero and ending in the municipal park of Navarrete.
Protesters carrying placards and chanting prayers demanded transparency from the government, fearing that the investigation might stall now that international agents have left the local site. To date, Dominican authorities have not released specific findings from the FBI’s week-long field analysis.
The Interpol alert includes a photograph of Brianna and urges anyone with information on her whereabouts, either in the Dominican Republic or the United States, to contact local authorities or the nearest consulate immediately.
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Diario Libre
Hoy
El Caribe
Interpol
20 January 2026