U.S. admiral’s visit heightens expectations of major Dominican drug bust
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Zoom PictureSANTO DOMINGO. – Today’s visit by a United States high level military delegation to the National Drugs Control Agency (DNCD) adds to expectations of an imminent announcement of a major bust its director Rafael Ramirez hinted to last week.
Vice-admiral Joseph Nimmich, head of the Joint Task Force based in Key West, reiterated his country’s support given the country’s success agaisnt drug trafficking, and praised the recent blows against drug trafficking, mainly those of the airdrops of cocaine from South America.
We’ll support you so this fight continues, so that the things become as you’ve been doing," Nimmich told the DNCD chief in the meeting of around one hour held in the DNCD offices.
The U.S. officer said the war against drug trafficking must be based on the cooperation and the exchange of intelligence and stressed that the DNCD has been successful in that effort.
Ramirez, who yesterday announced yet another bust of a ring of traffickers involving military and civilians opera tong in several airports, thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials for their support and for the close collaboration from the Armed Forces and the National Police. "Everything is currently done with a close collaboration."
DEA Santo Domingo local office chief Peter Reilly and other officials accompanied Nimmich in the meeting.
Ramirez said despite the DNCD’s limitations and some high-priority needs, “that doesn’t mean that we don’t work with body and soul for what we have ahead.”
Ramirez told Nimmich that although the violation of Dominican airspace and territorial waters is one of the DNCD’s main concerns, their support “almost always” led to success. “It’s a lot of drugs that we’ve intercepted lately in that manner."
