22 cops fired in Puerto Plata

[NewsWhore]

President Leonel Fernandez ordered the Chief of Police Major General Rafael Guillermo Guzman Fermin to discharge and arraign in court 22 members of the National Police, among them several officers, accused of acting in complicity with gangs of drug traffickers that disputed the control of drug sales in several localities of Puerto Plata as well as being involved in the commission of several crimes. In an unprecedented move, the decisions were announced in a press conference at the Presidential Palace. The Chief Executive took the decision after the members of the Council for Citizen Safety met for 45 minutes with him in his office at the Presidential Palace. The information was offered by Chief of Police Guzman Fermin, during a press conference in the Orlando Martinez Room, accompanied by the Attorney General, Radhames Jimenez, the Minister of the Interior and of the Police Franklin Almeyda, the Minister of the Armed Forces Pedro Pena Antonio, and Minister of the Presidency Cesar Pina Toribio, all members of the council. According to the Diario Libre, the officers that were dismissed and sent before the courts are Colonel Frank Feliz Almonte Castillo, formerly in charge of criminal affairs in Puerto Plata, Lt. Colonel Jose Maria Diaz, Major Freddy Guillen Mendez and the first lieutenants Jose Cepeda Rubio and Jose Manuel Tobal Polanco. Also involved in the case are second lieutenants Ramon Antonio Vasquez, Cristian Ferrera Hernandez, Pedro Toribio Alvarez, Rafael Antonio Garcia, Rafael de Jesus Maria Vargas Pena, Sergeant Pedro Portorreal Reyes and Corporal Danny Dominguez Tavarez. The names of the other agents were not offered by Guzman Fermin, nor were the ten civilians, three DNCD agents and a member of the Justice Department identified that are still under investigation for their ties to the criminal gang. The civilians arrested were found with crack, marijuana, cocaine in their possession, as well as communication radios, different bullets and ammunition for .45 cal pistols, scales and other instruments. Up until now there are 36 persons that allegedly made up a band of drug traffickers, police agents and men from the DNCD in custody, accused of acting in conspiracy with organized crime.

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