Speaking to the press, President Abinader stated "We have significantly strengthened the border, particularly in the south, where gangs operate. This reinforcement includes an increase in personnel, as well as the deployment of armored vehicles and equipment."

Abinader noted that the Dominican Republic has classified Haitian gangs as terrorist organizations, warning that Dominican authorities are prepared to respond to any attempted incursion into national territory : "We will treat them as what they are : terrorists, if they approach the border."

Furthermore, the Dominican President indicated that he had spoken with his Salvadoran counterpart, Nayib Bukele, to coordinate logistical and intelligence support for operations against armed groups in Haiti.

Abinader explained that the Dominican Republic is in contact with the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) tasked with operations against armed groups and that his administration is prepared to collaborate by providing logistical support and sharing intelligence with Salvadoran forces. The Dominican President did not provide specific details regarding the exact scope of this cooperation, nor did he specify what resources the Dominican Republic would make available to El Salvador for these operations.

Given the security situation in Haiti, Abinader affirmed that the Dominican armed forces maintain a deployment of human and technological resources to protect national sovereignty. These measures include increasing military personnel, deploying armored vehicles, and conducting 24/7 surveillance of movements near the border : "We have aircraft flying over the border, armored vehicles stationed nearby, and we also have drones at our disposal." He further indicated that, at the time of his remarks, these terrorist groups had not approached the border, and that there was no information to suggest they intended to do so in the immediate future. Abinader issued a direct warning to the terrorist organizations operating in Haiti, asserting that Dominican authorities would respond to any threat to border security. "These terrorists can be certain that, if they approach, they will have a very, very bad time," he stated, affirming that military and security institutions are prepared for any eventuality, though he did not announce any direct involvement of Dominican troops in operations taking place within Haiti.

When asked about the possibility that the situation in Haiti might drive more citizens to attempt to cross the border into the Dominican Republic, the Dominican President replied "[...] so far, we have seen no signs of this."

"What we are observing is that several specific locations in Haiti, where these terrorists are based, are set to be targeted by Haitian security forces."

SL/ HaitiLibre