The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury has designated nine Dominican persons and seven entities in the Dominican Republic pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. OFAC identified Cesar Emilio Peralta and the Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) as significant foreign narcotics traffickers, and designated the other eight Dominicans and six Santo Domingo entities for supporting or being controlled by Peralta and his DTO.
According to OFAC, Peralta and the designated persons coordinate the transshipment of tons of cocaine and opioids through the Dominican Republic to consumer markets in the US and Europe, while the designated entities serve as vehicles for laundering money and trafficking women.
Following the designations, all US assets of the designated parties are blocked, and dealings by US persons that involve such property are generally prohibited.