MP arrests man linked to the 6,740-pound marijuana stash in Haina at the AILA

Santo Domingo.– The Public Ministry (MP) announced on Thursday the arrest of José Francisco Acosta de la Rosa, one of the men wanted for the 3,004-package marijuana seizure (6,740 pounds) seized last May at the Port of Haina Oriental, during an operation led by the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) with the support of the General Customs Directorate (DGA), intelligence agencies and port authorities. The capture occurred at Las Américas International Airport (AILA) when Acosta de la Rosa was attempting to board a commercial flight bound for Lima, Peru. The arrest was carried out under judicial order number AJ0026783. The accused was found with several belongings, including a brown wallet with 2,200 euros and 269 dollars, a passport, boarding pass, ID card, and driver’s license in his name. He was also carrying a black backpack with an Acer laptop and clothes, as well as a silver bag with clothing. The drug shipment was discovered after an inspection of a container from Guatemala, which according to the manifest was transporting cat litter. After passing through Panama as a transshipment port, the container arrived at the port of Río Haina on April 22, 2025.

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During the inspection, carried out with X-ray scanner and canine units, 115 boxes were found containing the marijuana packages wrapped in luminescent paper. For this case, Marlon Darío Marzan Ramírez, Manuel Augusto Ramírez Sánchez, Maicol Ramírez Quezada, and Jazmín Simeon Yena had already been arrested last May, following a raid on the Garden City II residential complex in Villa Mella, Santo Domingo Norte. On that occasion, vehicles, cell phones, cash, documents, and other evidence linked to the investigation were seized. Authorities indicated that Acosta de la Rosa will be brought before the justice system in the coming hours, while investigations advance into the international drug trafficking structure to which this shipment is attributed.