Pubdate: Fri, 30 Aug 2002
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2002 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Section: World Briefing
Author: David Gonzales

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: DIPLOMAT FACES DRUG CHARGE

The police charged the country's vice consul to Haiti with drug trafficking 
after he was found with more than 90 pounds of cocaine, a machine gun and 
numerous Haitian and Dominican passports. Ornis Freddy Pena Mendez was 
arrested in a Santo Domingo slum with two other men who were under 
surveillance. The police said the group used a tour bus line to smuggle 
drugs into the country from Haiti, whose lack of effective police and 
border control has made it a favorite port of entry for Colombian smugglers. 
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