SANTO DOMINGO – In a significant display of bilateral anti-narcotics cooperation, Dominican authorities have destroyed 1,450 kilograms of cocaine seized in three separate coastal interdictions this month. The operations were conducted as part of Operation Southern Spear, a U.S.-led multinational initiative designed to combat maritime drug trafficking routes throughout Latin America.
The incineration ceremony, which also included other recently confiscated substances, was carried out at the Army’s First Infantry Brigade facility. The event held symbolic timing, coinciding with the regional visit of U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, underscoring the Trump administration’s intensified focus on intercepting South American speedboats suspected of transporting narcotics toward United States shores.
Sonia Elizabeth Lebrón, Director of the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF), presided over the destruction process, emphasizing that the permanent elimination of seized drugs is critical to preventing their re-circulation into illicit markets. She praised the ‘phenomenal’ collaborative efforts between the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, noting that each seizure directly mitigates the devastating social harm inflicted by narcotics, particularly among youth populations.
This latest incineration brings the total volume of narcotics destroyed by INACIF so far this year to 28,452 kilograms, with cocaine constituting the majority of eliminated substances. The operation highlights growing international coordination against transnational drug cartels exploiting Caribbean maritime corridors.