NOTE: Translated from Spanish. See originally posted Embassy release
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The United States Government, through the Department of Defense, donated an aircraft valued at more than US$8 million to the Ministry of Defense of the Dominican Republic, in support of the shared fight against illicit trafficking of narcotics by transnational criminal organizations and in support of the country's efforts to provide humanitarian assistance in cases of disasters.
The official ceremony took place at the San Isidro Air Base, led by the head of the Ministry of Defense of the Dominican Republic, Lieutenant General Carlos Luciano Díaz Morfa and Patricia Aguilera, Chargé d'Affaires of the United States Embassy.
The donation of this Cessna model aircraft responds to the success that the Dominican Republic has had in the fight against drug trafficking in the region. The aircraft will allow greater control of air and maritime spaces, which will help the Dominican Republic prevent the entry and transit of illicit materials through the country.
Likewise, it will be another tool that will allow the United States and the Dominican Republic to increase their interoperability, giving way to even more fluid collaboration to achieve common security objectives.
During the aircraft delivery ceremony, the United States Chargé d'Affaires referred to bilateral cooperation and expressed that “the incredible courage, strength and teamwork demonstrated daily between the Dominican Republic and the United States to combat “Transnational crime is only achieved thanks to our strong partnership and shared vision of a safe and crime-free region.”
For his part, Lieutenant General Carlos Luciano Díaz Morfa, Minister of Defense, highlighted that “this important gesture symbolizes the firm intention of the United States to always collaborate, in a decisive and timely manner, in maintaining our high degree of operational readiness, an attribute that has always characterized the actions of our Dominican Armed Forces.”
Likewise, Vice Admiral José M. Cabrera Ulloa, president of the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), thanked the Government of the United States for the great support that the country has received in recent years to confront drug trafficking and its crimes. related.
“For us, this cooperation has been very helpful because it has allowed us to strengthen our operational capacity and continue to face together the common threats of both peoples,” said Ulloa.
The event was attended by Major General Carlos R. Febrillet Rodríguez, general commander of the Air Force of the Dominican Republic (FARD); Lieutenant Colonel Lowell Krusinger, military attaché at the US Embassy; vice admiral, ARD, José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa, president of the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), Luis Soto, general director of the National Investigation Department (DNI) and Brigadier General, Alberto Montás Castillo.