(S) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: AMBASSADOR, IMMIGRATION

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 006134

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INL/LP AND WHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2009
TAGS: PREL SMIG KJUS MARR DR
SUBJECT: (S) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: AMBASSADOR, IMMIGRATION
DIRECTOR DISCUSS CORRUPTION

Classified By: NAS Director Richard Hawkins, reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (S) Summary: The Ambassador and Immigration Director
Baret discussed corruption in Dominican airports and ports on
November 3, 2004. The Ambassador named names, including
military officers assigned to Immigration, and urged
dismissal and prosecution. Baret said prosecution was
difficult, promised action, and asked for more USG help.
Embassy learned on November 5 that Baret had arranged with
the Armed Forces Secretary to have one of the leading
offenders fired. End summary.


2. (S) On November 3, 2004, Ambassador met with Dominican
Immigration Director Carlos Amarante Baret on the subject of
official corruption in the Immigration organization. The
meeting was called to inform and impress upon Director Baret
the need to implement certain measures to combat corruption,
especially in Dominican ports of entry. Ambassador informed
Baret that specific political appointees and inspectors
within the General Directorate of Migration were preparing to
smuggle people to the United States and Europe. DCM, DHS,
LEGATT, SAA, NAS, and CONS/Fraud Prevention attended the
meeting.


3. (S) Ambassador told Baret Dominican alien smuggling
organizations have developed a high level of smuggling
expertise, created extensive logistical support
infrastructures, and recruited a broad band of corrupt
officials, including some colonels and general officers of
the Dominican Armed Forces. Embassy has received reports
that employees of Immigration are regrouping after the change
of government and recommencing their activities. Ambassador
told Baret migration inspectors are planning to smuggle 20
children through El Cibao Airport, near Santiago. This group
of inspectors supports alien smuggling organizations that
charge about USD 9,000 for each smuggled Dominican.
Ambassador gave Baret names of three of the inspectors.
Baret said the three plus one other had been or would soon be
fired.


4. (S) Ambassador indicated some of the political appointees
working for Baret had been involved in alien smuggling in the
past. He named several names, including the colonel in
charge of military coordinators and the military coordinator
at Santo Domingo's Las Americas airport, along with the
latter's contact in Immigration. Baret said he had recently
discussed corruption with the colonel, named Luna, and said a
subordinate of Luna's sends illegal migrants to European
countries. He complained that as soon as he fires one bad
military officer, another bad one arrives. He added the
military coordinator at Las Americas had been interrogated
the same day concerning a passport case. DATT and Baret
discussed whether to let the Armed Forces take action against
their own people or to involve the Attorney General.


5. (S) Ambassador said Punta Cana airport, at the eastern
tip of the island, is another area of concern. He named
names, including the supervisor who transferred a known
people smuggler to Punta Cana and the supervisor of an
Immigration shift that works with a military contact to
smuggle aliens. Baret said he knew the military man in
question and thought he was a serious, religious, family man.


6. (S) Ambassador said Immigration in the past never had
alien smugglers prosecuted. He encouraged Baret to make an
immediate change in that area. Baret said a friend of his
was approached by the brother of the former Immigration
director, Siquio Ng de la Rosa, to propose the smuggling of
four to five PRC nationals per month into the DR. The
brother offered the friend USD 1,000 per PRC national and
Baret USD 5,000. Baret said he wanted Ng and his brother
prosecuted in the U.S. (Note: DHS is evaluating the
available information and will decide whether or not to open
an investigation. End note.)


7. (S) DCM urged Baret not to permit the usual practice of
moving the bad people to a different location. She pointed
out the possible impact on U.S.-Dominican cooperation if the
DR were placed in Tier 3 after the February 2005 evaluation
of their anti-Trafficking in Persons effort. Baret said it
was not easy to pull together the evidence for a trial, and
the DCM urged administrative sanctions as a second-best
alternative. Baret said he had a team on the trail of
smuggling organizations. DATT said we must work with the
Armed Forces to investigate these cases. Baret said getting
evidence against Luna, for example, would be difficult.
LEGATT suggested taping conversations and filming meetings.


8. (S) Baret said that was possible, but he was going to get
rid of the people whose names he had received. He said Luna
is a harder case, well connected. DATT encouraged him to
work with the Secretary of the Armed Forces to make his
anti-smuggling work effective. Baret said he was creating
his own information network, and the Embassy was a great help
to him. He said, "We're going to move on this." NAS
Director reminded Baret of the seriousness of TIP
decertification and said the USG would perceive no excuse for
the DR because of its recent change of government. Baret
asked for additional training from DHS, and the Attache
promised continued support. The meeting ended with a
friendly sidebar between Baret and the Ambassador.

UPDATE
--------------


9. (S) On November 5, NAS Director learned that Col. Luna
and others named by the Ambassador had been dismissed the
previous day. Later that morning, Armed Forces Secretary
Sigfrido Pared Perez confirmed to NAS Director that Baret had
visited him the previous day, and "they had worked together
to solve some personnel problems." On November 8, daily
Diario Libre reported that Immigration had fired 37 officials
previously assigned to five airports and the ferry terminal.

COMMENT
--------------


10. (S) In matters relating to corruption, Embassy has high
confidence in several ranking members of the current
government. The jury is still out on Baret, but initial
impressions are good. If his performance continues to match
his words, action may finally be possible against the
longstanding, Mafia-like smuggling networks whose nefarious
dealings undermine Dominican border control and threaten U.S.
homeland security.
HERTELL