President Luis Abinader confirmed details of the accord, which forms part of Washington’s wider war on drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Pacific waters.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has said that a temporary agreement to allow U.S. anti-narcotics personnel access to restricted airport areas will run until April 2026, clarifying the scope of the deal.
The accord forms part of a wider, more aggressive operation in the war against drugs by U.S. President Donald Trump in the Caribbean, intended to increase pressure on Venezuela to do more to tackle the cartels.
The agreement was reached last week during a visit to the Dominican Republic by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who described the accord as a “model that we hope to expand with other countries.”
Abinader made his comments on Monday at a press briefing, clarifying that the deal covers restricted zones at Las Americas International Airport and the San Isidro air base.
The permitted activities will be logistical and non-combat, the president stressed, allowing U.S. aircraft to refuel and move equipment in support of regional missions.
Existing Bilateral Framework
Abinader said the deal is built upon an existing bilateral anti-drug framework dating back to agreements from 1995 and 2003.
“This is going to help us a lot, together with the Dominican Navy and with specialized technological information,” Abinader said of the deal.
Trump has beefed up the United States’ military presence in the Caribbean significantly in recent months, with the operations including lethal strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels. The attacks have killed more than 80.
The deal between the United States and the Dominican Republic represents the first notable public pact with a Caribbean nation as part of Washington’s enhanced operations against drug smuggling.
Announcing the accord, Hegseth vowed to respect Dominican sovereignty and laws, while Abinader described the measures as “technical, limited, and temporary.”
Tenfold Rise
“The purpose is clear: to strengthen the air and maritime protection ring maintained by our Armed Forces, a decisive reinforcement to prevent the entry of narcotics and to strike a more decisive blow against transnational organized crime,” Abinader said.
He noted an almost tenfold rise in annual drug seizures in the past five years, attributing this to U.S. collaboration.
“Our country faces a real threat, a threat that knows no borders, no flags, that destroys families, and that has been trying to use our territory for decades,” he said. “That threat is drug trafficking, and no country can or should confront it without allies.”
