SANTO DOMINGO – Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez has officially confirmed that the recent shutdown of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in the country stems entirely from an internal investigation within the U.S. embassy, with no involvement or connection to the Dominican government or its officials. The clarification came following a direct conversation between Álvarez and U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Leah Campos.
Ambassador Campos provided explicit assurances that the decision to close the DEA’s operational office was motivated solely by findings from an internal probe conducted by the embassy itself. Minister Álvarez publicly relayed the diplomat’s statements, emphasizing that the measure was categorically unrelated to any actions or policies of Dominican authorities.
The development follows the recent arrest of Melitón Cordero, the DEA’s former supervisor in the Dominican Republic, who was taken into custody as part of an investigation into alleged visa fraud. While the timing of the office closure and the arrest is notable, the Dominican government’s statements aim to dispel any speculation of local misconduct or bilateral diplomatic friction, framing the event as an internal administrative action by the United States.