Thanks to the bilateral cooperation program between the Dominican Republic Ministry of Defense and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Dominican authorities received eight military vehicles valued at $513,536, which U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Robert W. Thomas delivered on September 16, 2021, the Dominican news portal Diario Libre reported.
“These vehicles will be used by the Army to improve security on our land and maritime borders, and to combat crime and threats from transnational criminal organizations,” Dominican Army Lieutenant General Carlos Luciano Díaz Morfa, minister of Defense, said at the handover ceremony.
According to Diario Libre, Thomas added that “the donation is just one of many U.S. investments in security cooperation that we have made here to improve the safety of Dominican civilians. Others include vessels for coastal patrol, air search, rescue, and reconnaissance support; disaster preparedness and response efforts; and border security and interdiction.”
During the last five years, the United States has provided assistance to the Dominican Armed Forces, with an investment totaling more than $25 million, the U.S. Embassy reported.
“Our armed forces are grateful for the continuous support they have always given to us; we will continue to fight organized crime, always together with our older brothers, the United States,” Lt. Gen. Díaz Morfa said via YouTube.