The president of the Dominican Republic announced Wednesday that he had authorized the U.S. military to temporarily operate inside restricted areas in the Caribbean country, in an effort to help Washington fight drug trafficking.
Speaking alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a news conference in the Dominican capital, Santo Domingo, President Luis Abinader said the Pentagon could now use restricted areas within the San Isidro Air Base and Las Américas International Airport to refuel aircraft and to transport equipment and technical personnel.
The announcement comes as the Pentagon is attacking boats it says are trafficking drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The U.S. military has conducted more than 20 such strikes since September, killing at least 83 people.
“The purpose is clear: to strengthen the air and maritime protection ring maintained by our armed forces,” Mr. Abinader said on Wednesday. “It is a decisive reinforcement to prevent the entry of narcotics and strike more forcefully at transnational organized crime.”
It is the first major military agreement the Trump administration has struck with the Dominican Republic. It remains unclear what the Caribbean nation will get out of the deal or how long the Pentagon will be able to operate in these restricted zones. At the news conference, few details were given and no questioned were allowed.
On Wednesday, Mr. Hegseth praised the Dominican Republic and vowed to respect its sovereignty.
“The Dominican Republic has stepped up,” Mr. Hegseth said.
Maria Abi-Habib is an investigative correspondent reporting on Latin America and is based in Mexico City.
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