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U.S., Dominican Republic announce deeper anti-drug cooperation; CBP agent MOU and waivers to continue programs
Summary
President Luis Abinader announced a new national drug coordinator and reaffirmed security cooperation with the United States, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington will provide waivers so bilateral anti‑drug programs can continue and will place a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent to work with Dominican authorities.
President Luis Abinader announced a new national drug coordinator and reaffirmed security cooperation with the United States, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington will provide waivers so bilateral anti‑drug programs can continue and will place a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent to work with Dominican authorities.
Abinader said he “has decided to appoint vice admiral Caudero Dua as our drug czar in charge of leading our joint efforts with The United States to stop the expansion of this substance,” and described cooperation on seizures, extraditions and legal assistance as “unprecedented in the region.”
“Many of the programs have been frozen by virtue of president Trump's executive order. We are willing to provide waivers so that programs can continue, and also we want to see how to expand the programs,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, announcing the U.S. decision to issue waivers and an MOU to formalize the presence of a CBP agent to “work together with the national police.”
Rubio praised the Dominican Republic’s recent seizures and cooperation on extraditions, saying the country ranks “number 2 in the whole hemisphere” for extradition cooperation. He said Washington will consider expanding technology access and other support to bolster interdiction and law‑enforcement capabilities.
The two leaders framed the measures as part of a broader security partnership focused on drug trafficking, organized crime and migration. Abinader described a “holistic plan for migration control and for fighting criminal structures,” including biometric identification technology and tougher legislation.
The announcements do not specify a timeline for deployment of new technologies or the CBP agent, nor do they list the exact programs covered by the waivers. Secretary Rubio said the U.S. will “see how we can enhance access to certain technologies,” and that details remain under discussion.
The exchanges occurred at a bilateral press conference in Santo Domingo during Secretary Rubio’s official visit, where both leaders emphasized continued cooperation on security and judicial matters.
