The president of the National Drug Council Fidias Aristy says that extraditing drug traffickers to the United States has been the main factor behind impunity for drug trafficking and is a stimulus for crime. <\/p>\n
“Part of the agreements that those people make (with the United States) is to protect their assets. Extradition in the Dominican Republic has become the main element of impunity and is an offense to the Dominican judiciary because the Dominican courts should be trying these people,” he said. <\/p>\n
He said that even though the focus of the criminal activity of the drug trafficking organizations is carried out in the United States, the greatest social damage is done in the Dominican Republic because when they receive a few years of jail time and can keep their wealth they acquired through their criminal activities they become role models for young people. <\/p>\n
“When they reach those agreements in the United States and return to enjoy their wealth, it undermines the prevention work,” he said speaking on Cuentas Claras on 95.7FM radio program. He commented on the latest case, involving Yubel Mendez Mendez (Oreganito), believed to be one of the richest drug traffickers. He was extradited to the US in 2010 but after negotiating with the US judiciary he only served four-and-a-half years and kept his fortune, estimated at RD$10 billion. <\/p>\n
There is a bill in Congress aimed at eliminating the ease with which convicted drug dealers keep their wealth in the country, but this has stagnated in the PLD-majority congress. <\/p>\n
\u2018La extradici\u00f3n es un est\u00edmulo para narcos\u2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n