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 abuses of the U.S. confidential informant visa program, a current and former U.S. official briefed on the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The arrests came as the Trump administration abruptly shut down the Caribbean nation’s drug enforcement office, calling it a “disgusting and disgraceful violation of the public trust.”
Meriton Cordero was taken into custody as part of an investigation led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the two said. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
No further details about the arrest were immediately available, and a message on Cordero’s phone was not immediately returned. Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the Drug Enforcement Administration immediately responded to requests for comment.
Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Ambassador Leah F. Campos said she had closed DEA offices until further notice but did not provide a reason.
“Using public office for personal gain is a disgusting and shameful violation of public trust,” she wrote on “X.” “I will not tolerate corruption anywhere in the embassy I lead.”
Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez said the shutdown had nothing to do with the Dominican government but was part of an internal U.S. investigation.
Each year, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies sponsor hundreds of foreign nationals entering the United States who might otherwise be considered inadmissible because of their ties to criminal activity. Over time, many of those expected to assist investigators will become eligible for permanent residence.
A 2019 report by Justice Department watchdogs identified several missteps in the visa program, finding that law enforcement lost track of as many as 1,000 sponsored individuals who posed a risk to public safety or national security because of their involvement in criminal activity.
The Dominican Republic is a major transit area for drugs leaving South America, and its law enforcement authorities 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 conduct operations in restricted areas at San Ysidro Air Force Base and Las Vegas International Airport to help combat drug trafficking.
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Mustian reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writer Dánica Coto contributed to this report in Puerto Rico.