Dominicans linked to smuggling of migrants will be prosecuted

This group used the Dominican-Haitian border as the center of its illegal actions, in particular the province of Independencia, the municipality of Jimani, and was dismantled in March 2022 thanks to the joint efforts of the General Directorate of Migration and the Special Division of Transnational Crimes.

Before Judge Ernesto A. Cabral, of the Investigative Court of the Judicial Circuit of the Province of Independencia, Application submitted by the Public Prosecution Service.

The judge also approved the coercive measure of pretrial detention, with the exception of Devi Nova, who must provide an economic guarantee of 10,000 Dominican pesos (about $200), without the right to leave the country.

Nova will also have to go to the public prosecutor’s office specialized in combating migrant smuggling and human trafficking every week.

In March 2022, Roberto Mendes, the control coordinator at the Khimani border customs post, and the inspector of that unit, Johan Rosario, were arrested.

Also, Quilinton Eduardo Folquez, Delson Manuel Medina, Juan Mateo Feliciano and Nova, the latter an employee of the National Institute of Drinking Water and Sanitation, as well as Dominga Guzmán, the mother of one of the accused, who provided his home.

Operation Iguana concluded with the simultaneous execution of nine raids in Independencia, Jimani; Bahoruku and Nipa and in the province of Pedernales.

During it, it was reported that seven cars, about 127 passports of foreign nationals, hundreds of thousands of Dominican pesos and 383 dollars were seized.

Hundreds of documents and firearms were also confiscated during the operation, according to the Public Prosecution Office at the time.

mim/mpv