Mon Sep 22 01:42:36 UTC 2025: **Headline: Dominican Republic Seizes Cocaine from Boat Destroyed in Joint U.S.-Dominican Republic Operation**
**Bogota, September 22, 2025 (The Hindu)** – Authorities in the Dominican Republic announced on Sunday the seizure of 377 packages of cocaine from a speedboat recently destroyed by the U.S. Navy. The operation took place as the Trump administration continues its controversial anti-narcotics mission in the southern Caribbean.
The Dominican Republic’s National Directorate for Drug Control stated that the recovered cocaine was part of an estimated 1,000 kilograms being transported by the boat. The vessel was reportedly intercepted approximately 80 nautical miles south of Isla Beata. According to officials, the Dominican Republic Navy cooperated with U.S. authorities in locating the speedboat, which they believe intended to use the Dominican Republic as a “bridge” for transporting cocaine to the United States.
“This is the first time in history that the United States and the Dominican Republic carry out a joint operation against narco terrorism in the Caribbean,” the directorate said in a statement.
The U.S. deployed eight warships and a submarine to the southern Caribbean in August, citing a mission to combat drug trafficking. The White House has reported destroying three drug-carrying speedboats in separate strikes, resulting in over a dozen fatalities.
However, the U.S. actions have drawn criticism. Human rights groups have condemned the strikes as extrajudicial killings. Two Democratic senators have introduced a resolution in Congress aimed at preventing further strikes by the Trump administration.
The Trump administration alleges that at least two of the sunk boats originated from Venezuela, whose President Nicolás Maduro is often accused of being a drug trafficker and leader of the Cartel of the Suns. Maduro vehemently denies these accusations, characterizing the U.S. naval presence as an attack on his country.
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