The Dominican Army detains 58 undocumented Haitians in the provinces of San Juan and Pedernales

( Spanish) – The Dominican Republic Army said it captured 58 undocumented Haitians in the provinces of San Juan de la Maguana and Pedernales, in the west of the country, according to a statement released Wednesday.

According to the statement, on Tuesday night in San Juan, in a wooded area in the Cajuil Blanco sector, in the Las Matas de Farfán municipality, 30 men and four women of Haitian nationality were detained, who, according to the police version, were waiting in the forest to traffickers who would transport them on motorcycles.

In the province of Pedernales, two truck drivers were detained by members of the Army at the Cabo Rojo checkpoint when, upon being inspected, they had 24 Haitians on board without documentation, according to the authorities.

The truck drivers were placed at the disposal of the Public Ministry to be brought to justice.

The 58 detained Haitians will be handed over to the Immigration Directorate for subsequent purification and deportation.

According to official data, 220,189 Haitians have been repatriated from the Dominican Republic so far this year. In the month of October alone, some 37,985 have been deported, according to Immigration.

In early October, the National Security and Defense Council of the Dominican Republic ordered mass deportations of Haitians.

The large-scale operation, ordered by the Government, which seeks to repatriate at least 10,000 undocumented Haitians per week, has the participation of soldiers from the different military bodies, police and the Public Ministry.