US tanker planes deployed against drug trafficking in the Caribbean are withdrawn from AILA

Santo Domingo.– The tanker aircraft of the United States Air Force that were operating from the Las Américas International Airport (AILA) as part of an anti-drug mission in the Caribbean were withdrawn from the country approximately three weeks ago. The aircraft, about ten in total, remained parked in a fixed manner in the airport area and were also authorized to operate from the San Isidro Air Base. Their presence responded to a logistical mission linked to the so-called Southern Spear Operation, aimed at supporting the fight against drug trafficking in the region.

You may be interested in: Remains of small plane with two U.S. citizens located in mountainous area of Haiti

The deployment was announced on November 26, 2025, by President Luis Abinader, who explained that it was a temporary installation, agreed upon with the U.S. Government, and assured that it did not violate national sovereignty. The mission formally began on December 4, 2025. The main objective of the aircraft was to supply fuel and supplies to aircraft deployed in other countries as part of regional operations. According to international reports, since September 2025, some 35 vessels linked to drug trafficking in the southern Caribbean and the Pacific have been destroyed.

Gradual Retirement

Although the tankers are no longer in Dominican territory, the mission has not been officially declared concluded. According to the source consulted, a dismantling process of the camp installed near the airport, where pilots and support staff were housed, is currently underway. In recent days, military cargo aircraft have arrived to transport equipment and supplies used during the operation. Among them, a strategic transport aircraft type C-5M Super Galaxy, which temporarily remained in the country to move part of the material. The withdrawal of personnel and equipment is carried out gradually, until the total departure of the resources deployed in the mission is completed.