SANTO DOMINGO – Against a backdrop of rising cross-border insecurity fueled by armed gang activity in neighboring Haiti, Dominican President Luis Abinader made a firm public commitment Tuesday that his nation will not permit violent Haitian gangs to encroach on or endanger Dominican territory. Speaking at the National Palace during the official launch of the country’s new comprehensive ‘Strong Border’ security and development initiative, Abinader confirmed that the Dominican Armed Forces have received unambiguous orders to act decisively against any security hazard that emerges along the shared 392-kilometer border.
A core pillar of the new strategy is a significant expansion of military manpower along the frontier. Currently, 9,500 active military personnel are deployed to border security operations; the administration will add an additional 1,500 troops to boost patrol, deterrence, and response capacity. The government is also extending the border’s high-tech smart perimeter fence: 54 kilometers of the advanced barrier have already been completed, and construction on 13 more kilometers will get underway shortly to close surveillance gaps and strengthen unauthorized crossing deterrence.
To streamline border monitoring operations, the initiative reorganizes the entire frontier into eight distinct operational zones, each overseen by a senior military commander to improve coordination and rapid response. The strategy also integrates cutting-edge surveillance technology to augment on-the-ground security work, including long-endurance drones, high-resolution fixed surveillance cameras, underground fiber-optic transmission systems, and centralized real-time monitoring infrastructure that allows security teams to track and respond to incidents faster. Dominican Defense Minister Carlos Fernández Onofre specifically highlighted the addition of the domestically assembled TP-75 Dulus aircraft, which will now carry out regular border patrol and reconnaissance missions, marking a milestone for the country’s domestic defense manufacturing capacity.
Beyond hard security investments, the ‘Strong Border’ plan frames long-term border stability as tied to inclusive economic development for underdeveloped border provinces. The administration outlined plans to modernize four key binational commercial markets in Dajabón, Elías Piña, Jimaní, and Pedernales, which will facilitate legal cross-border trade while reducing opportunities for smuggling and unauthorized movement. Additional development initiatives include the construction of new vocational training schools to expand local employment opportunities, upgraded military facilities, new regional airport infrastructure, and a geographic expansion of the national 9-1-1 emergency response system to better serve border communities. Officials also emphasized a targeted effort to reclaim and restructure the high-risk Tilory border area, where unregulated informal settlements have long blocked clear surveillance lines and undermined Dominican territorial control over the frontier.