In a recent official briefing from the Dominican Republic’s capital of Santo Domingo, national security authorities have released grim mortality data covering the opening four months of 2026: a total of 394 people lost their lives to violent causes across the country. Of these fatalities, 117 are directly tied to activities of both common street crime and transnational organized criminal networks, according to official accounting.
Eight active officers of the Dominican National Police are among those killed in the line of duty during this period, while an additional 93 people died in armed confrontations with law enforcement agents. Faride Raful, the nation’s Interior and Police Minister, broke down the remaining 184 violent deaths, attributing them to a range of non-criminal-network causes: personal conflicts between private individuals, retaliatory revenge attacks, gender-based femicides, and suicides committed by perpetrators of violent crimes.
Raful emphasized that modern counter-crime operations have grown exponentially more complicated for Dominican police, who now face well-funded criminal organizations equipped with heavy firearms and far more sophisticated operational tactics than in decades past. Even as officials grapple with these mounting threats, Raful reaffirmed that state security forces remain committed to systematically dismantling organized criminal networks across the country.
Encouragingly, long-term statistical trends point to steady progress in curbing violent homicide. As of May 2026, the cumulative national homicide rate stands at 7.34 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. This marks a consistent downward drop from recent years: the rate hit 12.7 per 100,000 in May 2023, fell to 10.05 in 2024, and decreased again to 8.4 in 2025.
National Police Director Andrés Cruz echoed Raful’s remarks, noting that law enforcement protocols prioritize live arrests and strict adherence to international human rights standards in all operations. Still, Cruz issued a clear warning that officers will not hesitate to meet force with force when necessary to protect civilian populations and carry out their public safety mandates.