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OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
5:00 PM – Friday, February 13, 2026
A supervisory special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in the Dominican Republic has been arrested in connection with an investigation into the misuse of a U.S. visa program intended for confidential informants.
The “Supervisory Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, was arrested yesterday in Washington D.C. and charged in a complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in connection with his role in a bribery and U.S. visa fraud scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Melitón Cordero, 47, was taken into custody as part of a probe led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The arrest prompted the Trump administration to abruptly close the DEA’s anti-narcotics office in the Caribbean nation, citing what it described as a “disgusting and disgraceful violation of public trust.”
“This individual was entrusted by the American people to faithfully execute his duties and represent the American Government abroad as a leader within the DEA,” Pirro added. “Instead, he is alleged to have broken the law, squandered this special trust and undercut the President’s immigration priorities. This behavior by any government official is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Ambassador Leah F. Campos announced the indefinite closure of the DEA office without initially specifying a reason.
“It is a disgusting and disgraceful violation of public trust to use one’s official capacity for personal gain,” she wrote on X. “I will not tolerate even the perception of corruption anywhere in the Embassy I lead.”
Dominican Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Álvarez stated that the closure was unrelated to the Dominican government and stemmed instead from an internal U.S. investigation.
Each year, the DEA, FBI, and other federal law enforcement agencies facilitate U.S. entry for hundreds of foreign nationals who might otherwise be deemed inadmissible due to ties to criminal activity. These individuals, expected to aid investigations, often become eligible for permanent residency over time.
The Dominican Republic serves as a critical transit point for narcotics flowing from South America, and its law enforcement agencies have long collaborated closely with U.S. counterparts.
In late November, Dominican President Luis Abinader authorized U.S. government operations in restricted areas of San Isidro Air Base and Las Américas International Airport to bolster efforts against drug trafficking.
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