Man Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison For Transporting Cocaine In Santo Domingo Este

A guy who was apprehended while attempting to traffic 381.96 grams of cocaine in Lucerna, Santo Domingo Este, was given a seven-year prison sentence by the First Collegiate Court of Santo Domingo Este, said reports.

The man has been identified as Patricio Pierre, a national of Haiti, who will spend his term in the La Victoria correctional facility, in accordance with information from the Attorney General's Office.

The file implemented by the Public Ministry establishes that on Aug. 3, 2021, around 12:54 p.m., the convicted person was arrested by members of the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), for presenting a suspicious attitude.

After his arrest, Patricio described how the agents proceeded to search him and seized a small wallet that contained 73 portions of a white powder, of which 72 were wrapped in transparent plastic bags with a zipper and one wrapped in a piece of paper.

After proper analysis of the substances, it was determined that they corresponded to hydrochloric cocaine, as stated in the certificate of the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif).

According to the information, during the trial, the Public Ministry, represented by the litigating prosecutor Darío Almonte, "demonstrated with sufficient evidence the criminal responsibility of the defendant, for having violated articles 5-A, 28 and 75, paragraph II, of Law 50-88, on Drugs and Controlled Substances", says the note from the Attorney General's Office.

According to reports, the illegal drug trade operating in the Dominican Republic is a major concern for the country. The country has become a trans-shipment point for Colombian drugs destined for Europe as well as the United States and Canada.

Money laundering via the Dominican Republic is favored by the drug cartels for the ease of illicit financial transactions. In 2004, it was estimated that 8% of all cocaine smuggled into the United States had come through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic responded with increased efforts to seize drug shipments, arrest and extradite those involved, and combat money laundering.

According to reports, drug-related murders have risen dramatically, now far exceeding the level of drug-related deaths in Mexico. Marijuana is the most frequently abused drug and Ecstasy is heavily trafficked in the country.