A senior U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration supervisor stationed in the Dominican Republic has been taken into custody amid a sweeping investigation into misconduct within a confidential informant visa program. The arrest of Melitón Cordero, confirmed by multiple officials speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, coincides with the Trump administration’s abrupt closure of the DEA’s Caribbean anti-narcotics operations.
The investigation, spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, centers on alleged abuses of a program that permits foreign nationals with criminal associations to enter the United States as confidential sources. U.S. Ambassador Leah F. Campos announced the office’s suspension without initial elaboration, but later declared on social media platform X that she would not tolerate ‘even the perception of corruption,’ condemning the acts as a ‘disgusting and disgraceful violation of public trust.’
Dominican Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Álvarez clarified that the closure was unrelated to his government but stemmed from an internal U.S. probe. The development strikes a significant blow to bilateral security cooperation, given the Dominican Republic’s critical role as a narcotics transit zone. The partnership had recently strengthened, with President Luis Abinader authorizing U.S. operations within restricted airport areas to combat drug trafficking in November.
The case echoes longstanding concerns about the informant visa program. A 2019 Justice Department inspector general report revealed severe management failures, noting that law enforcement had lost track of approximately 1,000 sponsored individuals, creating potential public safety and national security vulnerabilities due to their criminal connections.