Extraditions row: US Embassy wants to meet with top Dominican general

Santo Domingo.- The U.S. Embassy on Thursday asked to meet with Armed Forces minister Sigfrido Pared to discuss, among other issues, the latter’s request for information on Dominican military involved in criminal activities, such as corruption and drug trafficking.

The announcement is the Embassy’s response to Pared’s request for information on any member of the military allegedly linked to crimes and corruption.

"The Dominican Republic is an important partner in the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean, and the United States maintains a strong relationship and cooperation with our partners in the Dominican government. We will continue to coordinate closely with the Government and the Minister of the Armed Forces, and we have requested a meeting directly with the minister to discuss this and other issues in the coming days," the Embassy said, quoted by elnacional.com.do

On Monday Pared said the U.S. and Spanish embassies had never submitted to the Armed Forces a list of corrupt military or involved in drug trafficking. "It would be nice if someone from the embassy of Spain or of the U.S. ??disclose their names to the Armed Forces Minister, because nobody has ever given me a name."

"In recent years there have been rumors, many rumors which occur in Dominican society that have greatly affected the Armed Forces and the National Police," he aid.

The military chief said that although the country has had officers involved in international crimes such as drug trafficking, these are "a minority," adding that "99 percent of the military and police comply fully with their responsibilities."

"Scoundrel"

“They had Hiraldo there (as antinarcotics ops chief), for nearly eight years, and now they want him extradited, so who’s the scoundrel?,” the military official said on Monday.