U.S. shutters DEA office in Dominican Republic after agent charged

The U.S. closed its DEA office in Santo Domingo as an internal corruption probe began. A supervisory special agent, Meliton Cordero, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud.

U.S. officials announced the temporary closure of the Drug Enforcement Administration office in Santo Domingo while an internal investigation proceeds. The move followed allegations involving a senior DEA agent assigned to the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. The U.S. embassy said work with Dominican partners will continue during the inquiry. Reported details: - Ambassador Leah F. Campos ordered the DEA office closed and described the matter as a violation of public trust. - Supervisory Special Agent Meliton Cordero was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud, according to the U.S. Justice Department. - Prosecutors say Cordero accepted thousands of dollars and expedited at least 119 visa applications, with at least one application alleged to be fraudulent. - Cordero was ordered to surrender his passport; charging documents have not yet been unsealed and no detention request was made by prosecutors. Summary: The closure removes a key U.S. anti-narcotics presence in the Dominican Republic while embassy officials conduct an internal investigation, and could affect regional operations at a high level. Legal proceedings for the charged agent are underway, and specific court filings and the full investigation status are undetermined at this time.