In a joint anti-narcotics operation at one of the Dominican Republic’s busiest international air hubs, law enforcement agencies have intercepted a large shipment of marijuana, marking another significant step in the country’s ongoing fight against cross-border drug trafficking.
The operation was carried out by personnel from three key institutions: the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), the Specialized Airport Security Corps (CESAC), and the country’s Public Ministry. During a routine security inspection conducted at Las Américas International Airport, teams spotted an unclaimed black hard-shell suitcase left unattended in the airport’s international arrivals zone. The bag had been left behind by a passenger who had disembarked from an incoming flight originating from New York.
Acting in accordance with official protocol and under direct orders from a prosecuting attorney, law enforcement officers opened the abandoned luggage to conduct a full search. Inside, hidden between layers of everyday clothing, they discovered two separately wrapped packages containing marijuana. Following the seizure, the contraband was transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) for formal processing and weight verification. INACIF’s official analysis confirmed the illegal drugs had a total weight of 28.98 pounds, just under the 29-pound threshold reported by initial responding teams.
As of the latest update, investigators have already completed preliminary identification work on the passenger believed to be connected to the seized drugs. Law enforcement teams are currently actively pursuing leads to track down, apprehend, and prosecute the suspect connected to this smuggling attempt. In the wake of this seizure, senior Dominican authorities have reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to expanding and intensifying anti-drug enforcement operations across all entry points to the country. These operations cover airports, maritime ports, land border crossings, and other high-risk locations used by drug trafficking networks to move illegal narcotics into and through the Dominican Republic.