DEA supervisor in Dominican Republic arrested over bribery and visa fraud scheme

A senior U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent who spent years stationed in the Dominican Republic has been arrested and charged in an alleged bribery and visa fraud conspiracy, U.S. federal prosecutors confirmed.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said 47-year-old Meliton Cordero, a supervisory special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, was taken into custody in Washington, D.C. after a criminal complaint outlining the allegations was unsealed in U.S. District Court.

Cordero, who had been assigned for approximately six years to the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, is accused of conspiring to accept bribes and commit visa fraud while representing the United States abroad.

Prosecutors allege that he accepted thousands of dollars in payments in exchange for helping foreign nationals obtain nonimmigrant visas that would allow temporary travel to the United States. According to court documents, he is also accused of coaching visa applicants ahead of their interviews with U.S. consular officers and intervening to expedite applications.

In one instance cited by investigators, Cordero allegedly met with a foreign national and provided them with a passport and U.S. visa in exchange for cash. Authorities claim that during his assignment in the Dominican Republic, he expedited at least 119 visa applications, with at least one believed to be fraudulent.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the agent was entrusted to represent the American government but instead allegedly abused his authority. She described the alleged actions as a betrayal of public trust and said misconduct by government officials would not be tolerated.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole also stressed that the accusations do not reflect the work of the agency’s broader workforce, noting that thousands of DEA personnel continue to serve with integrity while targeting transnational criminal organisations and protecting communities.

Officials emphasised that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and does not constitute proof of guilt. Cordero is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Newark and Santo Domingo, along with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and the DEA. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are handling the matter.