Dominicans Send 2 Battalions to Haiti Border

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · SECURITY

The Dominican Republic has added two battalions and artillery on its southern border with Haiti. The buildup comes as four Salvadoran technicians remain missing in Haiti.

The Dominican Republic has sent two more battalions and artillery to its Haiti border, President Luis Abinader announced on Sunday, 25 October. He spoke to journalists in Santiago de los Caballeros, a city in the north of the country.

The Dominican Republic is a popular Caribbean destination for American visitors, and Haiti lies close to US shores. Gang violence near Port-au-Prince is now testing a UN-authorised force, and Abinader says the buildup keeps his country safe.

What Abinader Announced About the Haiti Border

Abinader said the government has sent two additional battalions, with heavy equipment and artillery, to the southern border. “We have over-reinforced the southern border,” he said, as Listín Diario quotes him.

He said about 11,000 troops were already deployed there, and that the existing structure was sufficient. The extra units are a precaution, he said, because keeping the country safe is “my responsibility”.

Abinader spoke at the close of “Primero Tú”, a social inclusion event in the Pekín district of Santiago, El Nacional reports. He added that the government is in “permanent session” over the situation in Haiti.

The accounts do not say how many soldiers the battalions hold or where they will be based. Listín Diario puts the earlier force at about 11,000 men, while El Nacional gives 10,900 to 11,000.

Why Santo Domingo Is Reinforcing Now

On Sunday, 18 October, gang members intercepted four Salvadoran aviation technicians serving with the Gang Suppression Force near Croix-des-Bouquets, close to Port-au-Prince. President Nayib Bukele says gangs hold the men and has demanded their release.

The Gang Suppression Force is a UN-authorised multinational mission that supports Haiti’s police against armed groups. El Salvador sent a military contingent to Haiti on Thursday, 22 October, to search for its men, EFE reports.

On Sunday the force confirmed it had received unidentified human remains that might belong to the missing men, EFE adds. Bukele had already ruled out that the remains were theirs, after what he called a preliminary review.

Abinader said he is in contact with the force and has spoken to Bukele about what is happening. He declined to give details, saying security matters of this kind are handled in confidence.

The Bukele Call and the Ministers

Abinader said he will speak to Bukele again on Monday, 26 October. On Saturday, 24 October, he had offered El Salvador logistical and intelligence support in the search, Herqles reports.

Abinader said he would meet the defence and foreign ministries after returning to Santo Domingo on Sunday. Herqles notes that an earlier announcement had ruled out closing the border.

The Players in Plain English

What It Means for US Readers

Visitors to the Dominican Republic face no announced change, and no closure of the border has been announced. Travellers heading to the border area should check their own government’s latest travel advisory first.

Haiti’s gang crisis, close to US shores, also feeds the American debate over migration and security. Dominican border policy therefore matters to travellers, investors and policymakers in the United States.

Background: the Dominican Republic coverage, an earlier report on more than 10,000 troops at the border and the Haiti crisis dossier. See also the Salvadoran search for the four men and the Santo Domingo city page.

What Is Not Known

It is not known how many soldiers the two battalions contain, how many artillery pieces were sent, or where they are stationed. The reports give no date of arrival and no name of the units.

The Presidency’s statement and the State Department’s current advisory could not be opened for this check. The account rests on Abinader’s words as carried by Listín Diario, El Nacional, De Último Minuto and EFE.

Nothing in the sources says where the four Salvadoran technicians are, or whether the remains the force received are theirs. Whether Monday’s call or press meeting changes the plan is also unknown.

What Comes Next

Abinader is due to speak to Bukele again on Monday, 26 October. Haiti’s presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for Sunday, 13 December, and EFE says they are in doubt.

The deployment does not mean the border will close, and none of the accounts says Dominican troops will cross into Haiti. It is a reinforcement on Dominican soil.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the Dominican Republic announce?

President Luis Abinader said two more battalions, heavy equipment and artillery were sent to the southern border with Haiti. He announced it on Sunday, 25 October.

How many troops are on the Haiti border?

Abinader said about 11,000 troops were already deployed on the southern border. The new battalions come on top, and their size was not given.

Why is the Dominican Republic reinforcing the border?

Abinader says the aim is to keep the country safe while gangs fight a UN-authorised force in Haiti. Four Salvadoran technicians went missing there on 18 October.

Is the Dominican border with Haiti closed?

No closure has been announced. Herqles notes that an earlier announcement ruled out closing it, and the new reinforcement does not change that.

Is it safe for US tourists to visit the Dominican Republic?

No change for visitors was announced after the border reinforcement. Check your own government’s latest travel advisory before travelling, especially near the border.

Sources: Listín Diario, 25 October; El Nacional, 25 October; EFE via Cooperativa, 25 October; Herqles, 25 October; De Último Minuto, 25 October; Diario El Salvador, 21 October (all accessed 26 October 2026).