Dominican Republic authorities seize record amount of cocaine, found hidden in bananas

Dominican Republic authorities seize record amount of cocaine, found hidden in bananas

Methamphetamine, cocaine found in jalapeño paste shipment


Methamphetamine and cocaine found hidden in jalapeño paste shipment

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Authorities in the Dominican Republic have confiscated nearly 9.5 tons of cocaine from a shipment of bananas at the country’s most important seaport.

The drugs were found in a shipment from Guatemala that arrived at the port of Caucedo in Santo Domingo, the nation’s capital, said Carlos Devers, spokesman for the Dominican Republic’s Anti-Drug Agency. The shipment was intended for Belgium.

The seized cargo, equivalent to about 19,000 pounds, is worth $250 million, officials said.

Drugs from the Dominican Republic
Anti-drug police officers display packages of seized drugs, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, December 6, 2024.

José Adames / AP


Ten suspects were arrested, Devers said at a news conference.

This is another significant seizure by national authorities. The country seized nearly 47 tons of drugs in 2024, including a stash of 660 pounds found on a boat in waters near Puerto Rico.

Earlier this year, civil servants in Spain seized 13 tonnes of cocaine from a shipment of bananas. In February 2024, British authorities discovered more than 12,500 pounds of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bananas. These two discoveries also set records.

Drugs from the Dominican Republic
Dominican anti-drug police officers display packages of seized drugs, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, December 6, 2024.

José Adames / AP


The Dominican Republic has long been considered a major drug transit point. Before that, the largest seizure on record took place in 2006, when authorities discovered more than 5,680 pounds, or nearly three tons, of cocaine at the port of Caucedo. This crisis is more than triple that size.