Amnesty Asks Dominican Probe of 3 October Migrant Death

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · HUMAN RIGHTS

A young man died during an immigration operation in the resort area that is the Dominican Republic’s busiest air gateway.

Amnesty International has demanded an independent investigation into a young man’s death during a migration operation near Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Punta Cana is the country’s busiest air gateway, and 39% of September’s tourists came from the United States, official figures show.

The London-based rights group published its call on Wednesday, 7 October, saying the authorities must account for the use of firearms. Local media reported that the man, a 23-year-old Haitian national, was shot on Saturday, 3 October.

Dominican authorities have not given a public account of the Punta Cana death. The US State Department already warns that some Americans have been mistaken for Haitian migrants during such operations.

What Amnesty International Said

The statement came from Ana Piquer, Amnesty’s director for the Americas, and was published in Spanish on Wednesday afternoon. It refers to “a young man of possible Haitian origin” and does not name him.

“No death in the context of migration operations should go uninvestigated,” Piquer said. She added that the inquiry must be “immediate, independent, impartial and exhaustive” and secure justice for his family.

Amnesty said the authorities must explain how firearms came to be used and whether that use was lawful. It also asked them to examine possible discriminatory motives.

“A person’s migration status never justifies the unlawful use of force,” the statement said. Intentional lethal force is acceptable only when strictly unavoidable to protect a life, it added.

Piquer said Amnesty and Dominican and Haitian groups had documented racial profiling, arbitrary detention and collective deportations for years. She urged the state to end policies that discriminate by national origin or skin colour.

What Local Media Reported

Diario Libre, a Santo Domingo daily, said migration agents were checking foreigners’ papers in Verón. They belonged to the Dirección General de Migración (DGM), the national migration agency.

Verón is part of the Verón-Punta Cana municipal district in La Altagracia province. The paper said the young man allegedly fled onto a clinic roof, where he was shot and fell.

A preliminary forensic finding linked the death to a gunshot wound to the chest, Diario Libre said. The body was to be sent to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences in San Pedro de Macorís.

Neither Diario Libre nor Listín Diario, another national daily, said who fired. Amnesty, citing press reports, said he was shot by a DGM agent.

Listín Diario reported protests after the death, with stones and bottles thrown at National Police officers. It said the unrest disrupted normal movement around hotels in the area.

How the Migration Agency Has Responded

The DGM is the government agency that detains and deports undocumented foreigners. It is led by Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester.

Its news page carried no statement on the Verón case as of early Thursday, 8 October. Diario Libre quoted unnamed authorities on 4 October as saying the exact circumstances were under investigation.

A DGM release on Tuesday, 6 October, reported 3,691 people detained and 3,126 deported from 2 to 4 October. It listed 210 detentions in La Altagracia but did not mention the death.

On 3 October, the agency said about 300 new recruits were in a 16-week course that stresses respect for human rights. The deportation drive dates to October 2024, with a target of 10,000 Haitians a week, El Día noted.

What It Means for You

The US State Department says Dominican authorities “conduct frequent operations focused on expelling Haitian migrants.” It adds that some US citizens have been mistakenly identified as Haitian migrants and temporarily detained.

In rare cases, the department says, Americans were physically assaulted during these operations. It tells US citizens to carry their passports at all times and to notify the embassy immediately if detained.

The country carries a Level 2 “Exercise Increased Caution” travel advisory. Neither local outlet reported any visitors hurt in the Verón unrest.

Punta Cana’s airport received 47% of incoming flights in September, according to Tourism Ministry figures reported by Diario Libre. For travellers, the practical step is to carry a passport at all times, as the department advises.

What Is Not Known

No official source has named the young man or confirmed his migration status. It is not known who fired, or whether any agent has been suspended or detained.

It is also unclear whether the Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal case over the Punta Cana death. Autopsy results have not been published.

What Comes Next

The forensic institute’s findings and any statement from the DGM or prosecutors are the next steps to watch. Amnesty’s call adds outside pressure for a public account.

The statement is not a finding of wrongdoing. No court or official body has yet determined who is responsible for the Punta Cana death.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Amnesty International ask for?

It asked Dominican authorities for an immediate, independent, impartial and exhaustive investigation into the death. It also wants them to account for the use of firearms.

When and where did the death happen?

Local media said it happened on Saturday, 3 October, during a migration operation in the Punta Cana area. The victim was described as a 23-year-old Haitian national.

Have Dominican authorities commented?

The migration agency has published no statement on the case. One local paper quoted unnamed authorities as saying the circumstances were under investigation.

Is Punta Cana safe for American tourists?

The US State Department rates the country Level 2, meaning exercise increased caution. It advises Americans to carry their passports at all times because of frequent immigration checks.

Sources: Amnesty International, statement of 7 October 2026; Dirección General de Migración, release of 6 October; Dirección General de Migración, release of 3 October; US State Department, Dominican Republic country information; Diario Libre, 4 October; Diario Libre, 6 October; Listín Diario, 7 October; Listín Diario, 4 October; El Día, 7 October (all accessed 8 October 2026).