The Dominican Republic Army has declared a new Border Patrol Unit operational. The mission of this unit is to carry out patrol, surveillance and protection operations in support of the units stationed at the border in order to control and defend national sovereignty and integrity.
The unit is equipped with both lethal and non-lethal weapons, as well as all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles, GPS systems, drones, helicopters, and personal protective equipment.
The unit was declared operational during a ceremony held at Military Camp 16 de Agosto and was attended by the Military and Police High Command, headed by the Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Rubén D. Paulino Sem and General Commander of the institution Major General Estanislao Gonell Regalado.
The Dominican Republic has been refocusing its efforts on border security. The country initially began reinforcing the border region with additional troop deployments in March of this year. Santo Domingo is now creating the institutions needed to support these additional troops. In particular, the Dominican Republic is creating mechanisms to promote cooperation between troops and other agencies involved in border security. The operational status of the new border unit also follows the launch of the Task Force Border Fence (FTC-1) in October 2018.
