Pubdate: Sun, 04 Feb 2007
Source: Dominican Today (Dominican Republic)
Copyright: 2007 Dominican Today
Contact: http://www.dominicantoday.com/app/contact.aspx
Website: http://www.dominicantoday.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4101

THE U.S. JOINS WAR ON DRUGS WITHIN DOMINICAN TERRITORY

SANTO DOMINGO.- United States pursuit aircraft, Coast Guard ships and 
armored helicopters will be used to erect a virtual wall around 
Dominican Republic's territorial waters and airspace to intercept and 
prevent drug airdrops.

The operations, coordinated by the National Drugs Control Agency 
(DNCD) and the United States Drugs Enforcement Administration (DEA) 
will extend to the border zones and have the logistical support of 
the U.S. and Dominican governments in a joint effort aimed at 
integrating the Haitian and Colombian authorities.

According to the newspaper Listin Diario, State intelligence sources 
made the revelation last night, adding that one of those DEA military 
aircraft is already parked in the San Isidro Airbase, with 
sophisticated persecution and reconnaissance equipment against 
possible illegal incursions of airplanes loaded with drugs.

Yesterday, the heads and coordinators of operations of antinarcotics 
trafficking teams met in DNCD headquarters to design plans that will 
be made operational in the next few days, with the use of aircraft, 
ships and helicopters to persecute small planes or boats that violate 
Dominican airspace.

Recently, an increase in drug airdrops has taken place from aircraft 
which have managed to penetrate Dominican territory by air, loaded 
with narcotics whose final destination is the United States and which 
comes from South America.

The last Friday several DEA and United States Defense Department 
officials met in the country with the senior antinarcotics 
authorities to discuss plans to conduct in the next days.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman