The National Palace in Santo Domingo, seat of the Dominican presidency; file photo, December 2022. (Photo: Thespecialreport, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · EXTRADITION

A Dominican Republic extradition order sends three citizens to the United States to answer murder, cocaine and fraud charges. Vice President Raquel Peña signed three decrees, which Dominican media reported on Thursday 15 October.

For US readers the Dominican Republic extradition shows Santo Domingo handing wanted suspects to courts in New York and Puerto Rico. The decrees are the legal step that lets Dominican police deliver the men to US authorities.

What the Three Decrees Order

The decrees carry the numbers 716-26, 717-26 and 718-26, and each covers one man. Together they authorise his delivery to US justice, according to Diario Libre, a leading Santo Domingo daily.

Peña signed them as acting head of the executive branch because President Luis Abinader was abroad. El Nacional, another Dominican daily, reported that he is in Rome promoting the country to investors and tourists.

Peña is the second-ranking official of the Dominican government, after Abinader. El Nacional described it as the first time she has signed extradition decrees.

Who the United States Wants Extradited

Darío Bautista is wanted by the US federal court for the District of Puerto Rico. A formal indictment filed on 28 August 2025 accuses him of conspiring to import five kilograms or more of a substance containing cocaine.

Ramón Joaquín Romero Bastardo is wanted in New York State, where an indictment filed on 29 October 2024 was lodged in Bronx County. It lists second-degree murder, gang assault, assault and weapons possession.

Luis Arismendy Paca Méndez is wanted by the US federal court for the Eastern District of New York, which sits in Brooklyn. A superseding indictment filed on 12 February 2026 accuses him of conspiracy to commit electronic fraud.

Electronic fraud covers schemes that use online or electronic channels to cheat victims of money. An indictment is a formal accusation, not a verdict.

The Bronx County Courthouse in New York; file photo, June 2022. (Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

The Treaty Condition on Extradition

Both outlets reported that every handover is conditional on the United States honouring the guarantee in Article 6 of the extradition treaty. The treaty between the two countries was approved by Dominican Resolution 507-16 on 10 June 2016.

The Dominican Republic extradition decrees do not change the charges, which US courts will decide. They only clear the way for Dominican officers to hand the men over.

Why Extradition Matters to Washington

The Dominican Republic sits on a Caribbean route for South American cocaine, and Puerto Rico lies close by. Cases from that trade often end in American courts.

Recent coverage shows the same pattern, from a cocaine seizure bound for Puerto Rico to two Dominican drug agents facing a Miami trial. Extradition is the step that brings suspects themselves before a US judge.

What It Means for You

For travellers and investors, the Dominican Republic extradition order changes nothing on the ground. They show a government that keeps sending wanted suspects to US courts, which supports close security ties with Washington.

For the US courts involved, the Bronx murder case and the Brooklyn fraud case now move toward a trial. No dates for the handovers or first US court appearances have been announced.

What Is Not Known

No date has been set for the Dominican Republic extradition handovers or the flights to the United States. Whether the men are already in Dominican custody has not been disclosed.

The exact guarantee that Article 6 requires from Washington has not been spelled out. No lawyer for the three men has commented in public.

More: Dominican Republic news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who signed the extradition decrees?

Vice President Raquel Peña signed all three decrees as acting head of state. President Luis Abinader was abroad at the time.

What does the Dominican Republic extradition order cover?

One man is accused of conspiring to import cocaine, one of murder in the Bronx and one of electronic fraud. All three are presumed innocent until a court decides.

Which US courts want the men?

The courts are the federal court in Puerto Rico, the federal court in Brooklyn and the state court in the Bronx. Each court has filed its own indictment.

Have the three men been convicted?

No, the indictments are formal accusations and the cases will be decided in US courts. Each decree carries a condition tied to Article 6 of the 2016 extradition treaty.

Sources: Diario Libre, Government orders extradition of three Dominicans to the United States, 15 October 2026; El Nacional, Raquel Peña signs extradition decree for three for the first time, 15 October 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief