Dominican Republic will host US troops to fight drug cartels
The U.S. forces will use the Dominican Republic's airbase and airport as part of the Trump administration's fight against drug cartels. This was announced by Pentagon chief Pita Hegset and Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, reports Bloomberg.
Refueling aircraft and logistical tasks will be carried out at San Isidro base and at the Las Américas international airport near Santo Domingo. At the same time, the agreement will be of a technical, limited, and temporary nature. These actions will be aimed at the threat posed by drug traffickers.
"Our country faces a real threat. This threat knows no borders or flags; it destroys families and has used our territory as part of its routes for decades," said Abinader, standing next to Hegset at the national palace in Santo Domingo.
Bloomberg notes that the Dominican Republic, known for its beach resorts, has long served as a transit point for drugs en route to the U.S. and Europe.
According to the publication, Hegset traveled to Santo Domingo at a time when the Trump administration is organizing the largest deployment of forces in the region in a decade to combat alleged human traffickers.
This also happened two days after the U.S. added the Venezuelan "Sun Cartel" to the list of foreign terrorist organizations.
The American government claims that the group is led by high-ranking military officers and is headed by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro himself. Venezuela, however, denies these accusations.
