DEA supervisor arrested as US shutters Dominican Republic office during visa-fraud probe

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MIAMI (AP) — A supervisor at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's office in the Dominican Republic has been arrested as part of an investigation into abuse of a U.S. visa program for confidential informants, a current and former U.S. official briefed on the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The arrest comes as the Trump administration has abruptly shuttered the anti-narcotics office in the Caribbean nation over what it said was a “disgusting and disgraceful violation of public trust.”

Melitón Cordero was taken into custody as part of an investigation led by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the two people said. They spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

There were no additional details about the arrest and messages to Cordero’s cellphone were not immediately returned. Neither DHS nor the DEA immediately responded to request for comment.

Earlier Thursday, U.S. Ambassador Leah F. Campos said she has closed the DEA's office until further notice without providing a reason.

“It is a disgusting and disgraceful violation of public trust to use one’s official capacity for personal gain,” she wrote on X. “I will not tolerate even the perception of corruption anywhere in the Embassy I lead.”

Dominican Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Álvarez said the closure had nothing to do with the Dominican government but was part of an internal U.S. investigation.

Every year, the DEA, FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies sponsor the entry to the United States of hundreds of foreign nationals who might otherwise be considered inadmissible due to their association with criminal activity. Over time, many of the individuals, who are expected to assist investigators, become eligible for permanent residency.

A 2019 report by a Justice Department watchdog identified several lapses in the visa program, finding that law enforcement had lost track of as many as 1,000 sponsored individuals, posing risks to public safety or national security because of the individuals' involvement with criminal activity.

The Dominican Republic is a major transit zone for narcotics leaving South America and law enforcement authorities in the country have long worked closely with their U.S. counterparts.

In late November, Dominican President Luis Abinader announced that he was authorizing the U.S. government to operate inside restricted areas at San Isidro Air Base and Las Américas International Airport to help in its fight against drug trafficking.

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Mustian reported from Minneapolis. AP Writer Dánica Coto contributed to this report from Puerto Rico.