The Dominican Republic government authorized the extradition of three Dominican citizens to the United States to face charges related to drug trafficking, murder, assault, illegal possession of firearms, and electronic fraud. Vice President Raquel Peña made the decision through decrees 716-26, 717-26, and 718-26. One of the cases involves Darío Bautista, who faces a federal indictment in Puerto Rico for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into US territory.
Bautista was formally charged on August 28, 2025, before the US Federal Court for the District of Puerto Rico, and his extradition was authorized through Decree 716-26. The other two individuals, Ramón Joaquín Romero Bastardo and Luis Arismendy Paca Méndez, face charges in New York, including murder, assault, and electronic fraud. Their extraditions were authorized through Decrees 717-26 and 718-26, respectively.
The extraditions will be subject to the guarantees established in the Extradition Treaty between the Dominican Republic and the United States, approved in 2016.