A senior cross-government delegation from the Dominican Republic has conducted an official visit to the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the U.S. Navy’s iconic nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, during the vessel’s 2026 Southern Seas deployment in the Caribbean. The trip marks a clear step forward in deepening longstanding bilateral cooperation and strategic security links between the Dominican Republic and the United States.
The visit was jointly organized by Leah Campos, the U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, and senior leadership from U.S. Southern Command. The Dominican delegation brought together top civilian and military officials from across the country’s security and economic agencies, including Tourism Minister David Collado, Defense Minister Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre, National Drug Control Directorate President Vice Admiral José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa, and National Intelligence Directorate Executive Director Luis Soto, alongside senior members of the Dominican Armed Forces General Staff.
The official program launched at San Isidro Air Base in the Dominican Republic, where the delegation gathered before being transferred by air to the anchored Nimitz. On arrival, the group was formally greeted by Captain Joseph J. Furco, the commanding officer of one of the U.S. Navy’s most strategically critical capital ships. Over the course of a comprehensive guided tour of the 100,000-ton vessel, Dominican officials held closed-door working meetings with senior U.S. naval commanders, and gained first-hand insight into the carrier’s advanced operational capabilities, day-to-day deployment protocols, and core strategic role within the broader U.S. Atlantic fleet.
In remarks delivered during the tour, Ambassador Campos underscored the depth of the bilateral relationship between the two nations, stressing that ongoing collaboration across priority areas remains central to shared regional goals. “The bond between the United States and the Dominican Republic is unshakable,” Campos stated. “Our aligned work on security, cross-border trade, inclusive economic development, and people-to-people exchange lays the groundwork for a safer, more prosperous future for the citizens of both our countries.”
She further noted that the high-profile visit to the Nimitz is a tangible demonstration of the United States’ sustained commitment to partnering closely with Dominican counterparts to tackle transnational shared challenges, from irregular migration to drug trafficking, and advance broader stability across the Caribbean and Latin American region.
According to senior officials from both sides who participated in the event, the entire visit unfolded in an atmosphere of open goodwill and mutual cooperation. The engagement is expected to further solidify the decades-long friendship and strategic partnership that has defined relations between the United States and the Dominican Republic for generations.