Sosua Shoot Out or Firecrackers

[Beads]

I have been saying for the last year or so the availability of cocaine in Sosua has gone WAY up.

3 or 4 years ago I don't ever recall being asked to buy drugs in Sosua. In the last year or so though its almost become normal for people to ask if you wanted to buy any.

I now see quite a few more working girls at night who are DEFINITELY using cocaine.

The availability and cheap price are making it a problem even in El Batey.

Hearing that these incidents are possibly the result of drug gangs fighting for turf or money makes a lot of sense.

The lure of easy money in a place where even earning an honest living is very difficult is hard to walk away from. With all this new found money everyone wants a piece of the pie so theres going to be fights. Even the corrupt "good guys" are going to want their share.

We all know how well the war on drugs is working in the states. I can't see it doing much better in Sosua.

Hope everyone stays safe and out of the way while all this is going on.

[RenatoSosua]

Source In Spanish...
Jefe PN dispone sustitución de todo el personal policial del municipio de Sosúa

The chief of the National Police Rafael Guillermo Guzmán Fermín, arranged today the replacement of all the police personnel of the municipality Sosúa, Puerto Plata. The measure of the police leader was adopted because of the constant violent incidents in Sosua.

[uk300wrx]

Been reading through this thread and it's got me a little worried, we're off to cabarete end of june which i know is'nt very far from sosua, we did want to venture out of our al as there is a free shuttle provided by the complex running to cabarete and sosua, i'm now worried that this is not safe to do so, or are the shootings that has occured well away from the touristy bit.

We stayed al in sosua 2 year ago and never ventured out of the complex only on tours, but because we have done a lot of the tours already we were looking forward to traveling by shuttle to sosua and cabarete at our own free will. Can anyone advise me if there is any saftey issues regarding this, or am i just been overprotective with the issue

[Kyle]

whether i'm in the DR or here in the US, i'm never oblivious to danger. i would keep you spider senses "on" wherever you go but don't be paranoid....

[liam1]

i hope they change Police personnel is Sosua, they are as corrupt as they get.

the cops in Sosua are charging "rent" for every "punto" selling drugs, and they charge 15K - 20K a month, depending on location. also there is more drugs here now because before the international traffickers (Colombians, Venezuelans and Puerto Ricans) used to pay the Dominicans for their services in cash, about 2 years ago they began paying them more but instead of cash money in drugs, in other words if they owned the Dominican 15K they would not pay them 15K cash but 20K worth of cocaine, and then the Dominicans have to turn the coke into cash, that's why there is so much coke on the streets now.

[rio2003]

This info is fascinating - I have watched the drug availability and the surrounding problems escalate over the last few years. It seems we have a wealth of info amongst us. I wonder if it is worth starting another thread, so as not to derail this one?

Rio

[Bronxboy]

Originally Posted by liam1

i hope they change Police personnel is Sosua, they are as corrupt as they get.

the cops in Sosua are charging "rent" for every "punto" selling drugs, and they charge 15K - 20K a month, depending on location. also there is more drugs here now because before the international traffickers (Colombians, Venezuelans and Puerto Ricans) used to pay the Dominicans for their services in cash, about 2 years ago they began paying them more but instead of cash money in drugs, in other words if they owned the Dominican 15K they would not pay them 15K cash but 20K worth of cocaine, and then the Dominicans have to turn the coke into cash, that's why there is so much coke on the streets now.

I am curious to find out how you know this info if you care to share!!!

[Conchman]

Originally Posted by Rocky

Here's hoping that the drug dealers manage to kill each other all off without hurting any innocent bystanders.
Then the world would be a better place......

not really, the demand will stay the same and new suppliers will fill in the gaps.

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by liam1

also there is more drugs here now because before the international traffickers (Colombians, Venezuelans and Puerto Ricans) used to pay the Dominicans for their services in cash, about 2 years ago they began paying them more but instead of cash money in drugs, in other words if they owned the Dominican 15K they would not pay them 15K cash but 20K worth of cocaine, and then the Dominicans have to turn the coke into cash, that's why there is so much coke on the streets now.

With respect, liam1, the payment of kind rather than cash started during the 2000-2004 administration so it has been in place about 5 years & initially coincided with a period of high inflation here, so 'assets' had to be turned into cash & thus the market was created. I believe that it also started top down i.e. with the high ranking DR military etc who were protecting drug routes; (some say the 'etc' covers some politicians, some of the judiciary, even some Ministers). It was they who were paid by the international traffickers in product. One of the saddest realities is that those high ranking officers et al. created the market here which goes all the way to crack in the barrios & thus brought to their own people a blight which will be almost impossible to eradicate. I wrote an article last November which comments on some of this:
Offshore Living News Offshorewave » Crime, Drugs And Expat Security In The Dominican Republic - by Ginnie Bedggood

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by Lambada

With respect, liam1, the payment of kind rather than cash started during the 2000-2004 administration

Which is when the street problem (kids stoned, erratic behaviour, violent crimes)started to be noticeable.
Up until then, it was a quiet occasional thing.
It was during those times that robberies in the street became a lot more common, where the perps approached and threatened, to get their booty.
Crack usage and that type of crime barely existed before.