In a coordinated anti-corruption operation in the Dominican Republic’s top tourist hub of Punta Cana, law enforcement agencies have taken into custody an immigration control inspector caught in the act of soliciting a large bribe from a traveler seeking to depart for Spain. The accused, named Carlos Javier Sánchez, was arrested during a court-sanctioned controlled delivery sting, which was staged when he arrived to collect the demanded 100,000 Dominican pesos payoff from the female traveler. The investigation is a joint effort led by four key Dominican law enforcement bodies: the national Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (known locally by its acronym Pepca), the regional La Altagracia Prosecutor’s Office, and the country’s General Directorate of Migration. Prosecutors have emphasized that the arrest, which was carried out under a formal judicial warrant, is part of a sustained, systemic push by Dominican authorities to root out public sector corruption and crack down on transnational organized crime that operates through the country’s major border and airport entry points. Over the coming hours, officials will bring Sánchez before a local court to formally file a request for pretrial detention measures, which will remain in place while investigators continue to build their case and explore potential connections to other corrupt activities tied to the accused inspector.
Dominican immigration inspector arrested in alleged bribery scheme at Punta Cana Airport
