Fishing boats in Puerto Plata tied to drug trafficking and pollution

Puerto Plata.- Fishing vessels in Luperón Bay, Puerto Plata, reported for environmental contamination due to oil and fuel spills, are allegedly tied to an international drug trafficking cartel. According to Loose Cannon, five boats belong to Isidoro Rotestan Clase (El Men) and Rafael Ynoa Santana (El Cojo), key figures in a network dismantled by Operation Buffalo NK. The cartel used these vessels to smuggle cocaine from South America to Europe and the U.S., operating just 300 feet from the Dominican Navy dock.

The network reportedly collaborated with Colombian supplier Juan Carlos López Macías (El Sobrino), transporting drugs via fishing boats and speedboats. These operations also contributed to severe pollution in Luperón Bay, harming the environment and nautical tourism. The cartel’s routes included South America, Puerto Rico, and destinations in the U.S. and Europe.

Operation Buffalo NK, led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), and international agencies such as the DEA, dismantled the network. The large-scale operation involved 400 special forces personnel, 47 prosecutors, and simultaneous raids across five Dominican provinces, highlighting a coordinated effort against drug trafficking and money laundering.