DOMINICAN REPUBLIC — A supervisor at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in the Dominican Republic has been arrested as part of an investigation into alleged abuse of a U.S. visa program for confidential informants, officials told The Associated Press.
Melitón Cordero was taken into custody as part of an investigation led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The current and former U.S. officials who spoke to the AP requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
The arrest coincides with the Trump administration’s abrupt closure of the DEA office in the Caribbean nation, which U.S. Ambassador Leah F. Campos described as resulting from a “disgusting and disgraceful violation of public trust.” She said the office would remain closed until further notice.
Roberto Álvarez confirmed the closure was part of an internal U.S. investigation and not related to the Dominican government.
The DEA, FBI, and other federal law enforcement agencies sponsor foreign nationals who might otherwise be inadmissible to the U.S. in exchange for cooperation as confidential informants. A 2019 Justice Department watchdog report highlighted lapses in the program, noting that up to 1,000 sponsored individuals had gone untracked, raising public safety concerns.
The Dominican Republic, a key transit zone for narcotics from South America, has long collaborated with U.S. authorities. In November, Dominican President Luis Abinader authorized U.S. operations at San Isidro Air Base and Las Américas International Airport to support anti-drug efforts.
No further details about Cordero’s arrest have been released, and neither the DEA nor DHS immediately responded to requests for comment.
