Santiago.- The Fourth Collegiate Tribunal of the judicial district of Santiago imposed sentences of 20 years in prison and fines of five million pesos on two members of a criminal drug trafficking structure who were seized by the authorities with more than 2,200 pounds of marijuana, in addition to cocaine, firearms, cash and equipment used for drug processing, during an interagency operation carried out in 2023.
The sentenced are José Andrés Rodríguez Guzmán and Ángelo José Rodríguez Rodríguez, arrested in the act, while operating a network dedicated to large and medium-scale drug trafficking, with a presence in several communities in the north of the municipality of Santiago
The court, composed of magistrates Rubén Rodríguez, Rubén Darío Cruz Uceta, and Jasmín de los Santos, accepted in its entirety the accusation presented by the Public Ministry, considering the evidentiary burden composed of material, expert, and documentary evidence to be conclusive.
During the trial, prosecutor Jenniffer Rodríguez explained that the organization used sophisticated methods to evade surveillance, simulating that the drug shipments were rolls of fabric and textile material, which showed a high level of planning and criminal experience.
As a result of the operation, coordinated by the Public Ministry together with the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), through the Directorate of Operations Against Drug Trafficking for Internal Consumption (DOTCI), 400 bales of marijuana were seized with an approximate weight of 2,227 pounds, as well as one kilogram of cocaine, confirmed by analysis from the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF).
The network was also seized with two 9-millimeter caliber pistols, one Carandai and one Taurus brand, a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun, 14 cartridges, dozens of capsules of different calibers, as well as digital scales, a shredding machine, vacuum packing equipment and various garments linked to the illicit activity.
The Public Ministry maintained that the evidence demonstrates a structured system for the storage, wrapping, distribution, and commercialization of controlled substances, reinforcing the seriousness of the events.
The convictions are based on the violation of multiple articles of Law 50-88 on Drugs and Controlled Substances, as well as articles 66 and 67 of Law 631-16, which regulates the control and carrying of firearms in the Dominican Republic.
With this statement, the authorities claim to have dealt a significant blow to drug trafficking in the northern region, reiterating their commitment to pursue and punish with the full force of the law the criminal structures dedicated to this crime.
