DOMINICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL COORDINATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SANTO DOMINGO 006061

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR WHA/CAR, G/TIP FOR RACHEL OWEN
NSC FOR SHANNON AND MADISON;LABOR FOR ILAB;
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD; TREASURY FOR OASIA-LCARTER
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KWMN DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL COORDINATE
ANTI-TIP EFFORTS



1. (U) Summary. Dominican cabinet members and senior
officials, meeting as a group with the Ambassador and Embassy
staff on October 20 and 22, cited several instances of recent
progress in combating TIP, including the creation of a new
cyber-crimes unit in the Attorney General's office, the
break-up of a child pornography ring in Santiago, and the
implementation of a new Code for Minors and Adolescents,
which creates stiffer penalties for exploiters of children.
The Dominicans also promised to increase interagency
cooperation in investigating and prosecuting trafficking in
persons (TIP) cases, led by Attorney General Francisco
Dominguez Brito. On October 25, at an international TIP
conference hosted by the International Organization for
Migration (IOM),the Ambassador stressed that the Dominican
Republic must do more to combat TIP. At the same meeting,
Dominguez Brito reconfirmed his engagement on TIP, calling
for more aggressive prosecutions and sentences of up to 30
years for traffickers. End Summary.


2. (U) Background. During the week of October 18-22, Embassy
Santo Domingo followed up on June and August coordination
seminars with advisors to incoming president Leonel Fernandez
expected to assume key law enforcement duties, especially for
trafficking in persons (TIP). After an Embassy half-day
seminar on October 20 with senior staff from several
Dominican agencies, on October 22 the Ambassador hosted
cabinet officials, the head of the Armed Forces, and other
officials newly designated to combat TIP. The Ambassador and
Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito also spoke at the
inauguration of an international conference on the best
practices for combating TIP hosted by the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) the week of October 25-29.

Staff Level Coordination


3. (U) On October 20, senior staff representatives of law
enforcement entities and state secretariats met with the DCM,
the Defense Attache, EcoPol officers, and USG law enforcement
attaches for half a day. The group reached a consensus that
the Attorney General's office should serve as the focal point
of TIP investigations and prosecutions. The action officer
is Assistant Attorney General Frank Soto, head of the
Attorney General's anti-TIP unit, an entity established by
the previous administration.


4. (U) Soto pointed to several positive recent steps,
including the October 18 implementation of the 2003 Code for
Minors and Adolescents, which provides greater legal
protections for children and stiffer penalties for those who
exploit them. Soto said the Attorney General's office was
establishing a cyber-crimes unit with help from the German
Embassy, to investigate cases of child sexual exploitation.
(Last month police in Santiago shut down a child pornography
ring in Santiago that had sought to lure foreign clients by
posting sexually explicit photos of young children and
adolescents on the Internet.)


5. (SBU) MFA Ambassador for Women's Affairs Luisa "Chiqui"
Vicisoso said that the MFA was drafting a report on progress
in anti-TIP efforts and is seeking multilateral commitments
to fight cross-border trafficking, including that of Haitian
migrant workers. Participants wanted more coordination and
cooperation among investigators, to establish whether given
crimes involving alien smuggling met TIP criteria. Colonel
Cristobal Morales was the National Police representative, as
director of the Falsifications Investigations Department,
which includes the police anti-TIP unit. Morales proposed a
monthly interagency meeting to share information on TIP cases.

Cabinet Level Coordination


6. (SBU) The Ambassador reinforced these commitments at a
lunch he hosted October 22 for cabinet members and heads of
the agencies represented at the working group. Foreign
Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, Armed Forces Secretary
Sigfido Pared Perez, and Attorney General Francisco Dominguez
Brito were the ranking attendees. The Foreign Minister
reciprocated the Ambassador's opening remarks by emphasizing
the importance of fighting TIP and told the group that the
Dominican Republic "must improve" its record on TIP. Morales
recounted some success stories, including a cleanup of
corrupt Dominican consulates that had helped traffickers by
selling visas and travel documents.


7. (SBU) Attorney General Dominguez Brito welcomed the
responsibility of coordinating anti-TIP action. Armed Forces
Chief Pared Perez stressed the importance of controlling
borders to make it harder to traffic or smuggle from Haiti
and noted that agencies that provide security at seaports
(CESEP) and airports (CESA) are particularly important in
improving the Dominican Republic's reputation as a source and
transit country for TIP. Police Chief Manuel de Jesus Perez
Sanchez raised the need to encourage "denunciations" of
traffickers and to protect informants. Minister for Women's
Affairs Gladys Gutierrez called for more resources for women
and families to encourage potential victims to stay in their
home towns in the Dominican Republic and resist temptations
offered by traffickers.


8. (SBU) At the conclusion of the lunch, the Ambassador asked
all of the agency heads to assure that their staffs receive
the direction, time and resources to investigate and
prosecute traffickers and to assist victims. He endorsed the
proposal for the Attorney General and the Attorney General's
anti-TIP unit to lead in investigating and prosecuting TIP.
All present agreed with this approach.

Call for Increased Penalties


9. (U) On October 25 the Attorney General made public once
again his hard line against trafficking in his presentation
at an well-publicized international TIP conference near Santo
Domingo sponsored by the International Organization for
Migration (IOM). Dominguez Brito called for sentences of up
to thirty years for traffickers, saying,"There can be no
impunity for traffickers." He also said, "We have a clear
need to follow up on our prosecutions, because it is
worthless to file charges and then not have a conviction."
The Ambassador, in his presentation at the opening session,
recognized the efforts of the Dominican Republic and the
international community to fight TIP but stressed "we must do
more." The Ambassador emphasized the theme of interagency
and international cooperation, noting, "Only through
collective action can we meet the challenge presented by this
epidemic."

Comment


10. (SBU) The commitments from the cabinet members and
Dominguez Brito's strong public stand are in part the fruit
of the persistent work of the Ambassador and Embassy officers
in raising the awareness of the incoming administration on
TIP and promoting an operational approach for an issue that
affects many government agencies. The Fernandez
administration is focusing its law enforcement resources to
improve the Dominican record on fighting TIP. The framework
is in place, the channels of communication are open, and the
frank and zealous Attorney General is ready. The issue is now
for the rest of the new administration to follow his lead.
HERTELL