A large-scale coordinated crackdown on criminal networks accused of aggravated pimping and the commercial exploitation of women has delivered a major breakthrough in the Dominican Republic’s Puerto Plata province, launched jointly by local prosecutors and the National Police before dawn on Sunday.
The multi-location operation stretched across five key areas of the province: the main city of Puerto Plata, the popular coastal towns of Sosúa and Cabarete, plus the Cangrejos district and Sabaneta de Yásica. Investigative teams targeted commercial venues and private boarding houses that had long been flagged in preliminary probes for ties to human exploitation rings, executing search warrants at each site as part of the coordinated anti-crime action.
Among the establishments raided were a commercial car wash in Sabaneta de Yásica, four named venues—El Secreto in Cabarete, La Choza in central Puerto Plata, and Río Verde in Cangrejos—alongside at least three unnanounced boarding houses. All targeted businesses have been ordered to suspend operations temporarily as the official investigation moves forward, and investigators collected physical evidence from the boarding houses to trace potential connections to the exploitation ring.
Early official data shared with local Dominican outlet InfoENN – El Nuevo Norte confirms that 62 women held in these illicit operations have been rescued from exploitation, and three individuals with alleged links to the criminal network have been taken into custody to face formal investigation.
As of the latest update, law enforcement has not publicly disclosed the identities of the three arrested suspects, nor has it released a complete inventory of evidence seized during the raids. The Special Prosecutor’s Office is set to publish additional details on the case in the coming hours, when it will also outline what legal actions will be pursued against those found responsible.
Investigators are currently working to map the full scope of the criminal network, determine the exact level of criminal liability for the arrested suspects, and hold accountable any owners or managers of the targeted establishments who are found to have participated in the exploitation ring.