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DEA supervisor arrested as US shutters Dominican Republic office during visa-fraud probe

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MIAMI (AP) — A supervisor at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s
office in the Dominican Republic has been arrested as part of an
investigation into abuse of a U.S. visa program for confidential
informants, a current and former U.S. official briefed on the matter
told The Associated Press on Thursday. 

The arrest comes as the Trump administration has abruptly shuttered the
anti-narcotics office in the Caribbean nation over what it said was a
“disgusting and disgraceful violation of public trust.” 

Melitón Cordero was taken into custody as part of an investigation led
by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the two people said. They spoke
to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is
ongoing. 

There were no additional details about the arrest and messages to
Cordero’s cellphone were not immediately returned. Neither DHS nor the
DEA immediately responded to request for comment. 

Earlier Thursday, U.S. Ambassador Leah F. Campos said she has closed the
DEA’s office until further notice without providing a reason. 

“It is a disgusting and disgraceful violation of public trust to use
one’s official capacity for personal gain,” she wrote on X. “I will not
tolerate even the perception of corruption anywhere in the Embassy I
lead.” 

Dominican Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Álvarez said the closure had
nothing to do with the Dominican government but was part of an internal
U.S. investigation. 


Every year, the DEA, FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies
sponsor the entry to the United States of hundreds of foreign nationals
who might otherwise be considered inadmissible due to their association
with criminal activity. Over time, many of the individuals, who are
expected to assist investigators, become eligible for permanent
residency. 

A 2019 report by a Justice Department watchdog identified several lapses
in the visa program, finding that law enforcement had lost track of as
many as 1,000 sponsored individuals, posing risks to public safety or
national security because of the individuals’ involvement with criminal
activity. 

The Dominican Republic is a major transit zone for narcotics leaving
South America and law enforcement authorities in the country have long
worked closely with their U.S. counterparts. 

In late November, Dominican President Luis Abinader announced that he
was authorizing the U.S. government to operate inside restricted areas
at San Isidro Air Base and Las Américas International Airport to help in
its fight against drug trafficking. 

https://apnews.com/article/dominican-republic-us-embassy-dea-closed-corru
ption-54591d738da054d32375b8096b485af8 

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DEA supervisor arrested as US shutters Dominican Republic office during visa-fraud probe albasani-dot-net <jonball@work.org> - 2026-02-14 01:28 +0100

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