Two National Police sergeants killed in assault and operation in Santo Domingo
Pedro Luis Guerrero Ibis was shot dead during a robbery in Santo Domingo North; Adolfo Miguel Mella Brito died in an armed confrontation in Santo Domingo West. Both cases reflect the risks faced by officers on and off duty.
National Police sergeants lose their lives in separate violent incidents in the capital
Two sergeants of the Dominican National Police died in different circumstances in recent months: one was shot dead in an armed robbery while off duty, and the other died during a confrontation in a joint police operation. According to n.com.do, the cases of Pedro Luis Guerrero Ibis and Adolfo Miguel Mella Brito highlight the risks to which members of the institution are exposed, both during working hours and outside of them.
According to figures released by the authorities and published on 11 May 2026, at least eight officers of the National Police had lost their lives in the line of duty during the first months of the year. The report was presented following a meeting of the Joint Task Force chaired by Vice-President Raquel Peña, with the participation of the Minister of Interior and Police, Faride Raful.
Senior sergeant shot in family business in El Higüero
Senior Sergeant Pedro Luis Guerrero Ibis was shot on the evening of Sunday, 18 October at the Gallera and Bar Higüero Abajo, a commercial establishment located in the El Higüero sector, Santo Domingo North. According to a preliminary report from the National Police, several armed men burst into the business, robbed those present of their belongings and opened fire on the officer, who was off duty. The attackers took his service weapon and a chain. Guerrero Ibis sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and died whilst receiving medical attention at the Dr. Ney Arias Lora Trauma Hospital.
Forensic Police technicians collected three 9-millimetre cartridge cases at the scene. Máximo Guerrero Mercedes, the victim's father and a retired colonel, explained that the establishment belonged to the family and that three men entered from the back. He also noted that his son was carrying cash at the time of the robbery, but that the attackers only took the pistol and the chain.
On 20 October, police officers shot dead Randy Tejada Valdez, alias "Randy" or "El Cojo", in San Juan, identified as one of the suspected perpetrators in the murder of the senior sergeant. According to the police account, Tejada Valdez died during an exchange of gunfire with members of the institution. A pistol and a homemade firearm were seized in the procedure.
Police spokesman Diego Pesqueira clarified on 21 October that investigations are continuing to identify other possible perpetrators and to determine whether more than three people participated in the robbery.
Sergeant killed during operation at kilometre 14 of the Duarte motorway
Sergeant Adolfo Miguel Mella Brito died in the early hours of Sunday, 10 May 2026 in the La Joya sector, kilometre 14 of the Duarte motorway, in Santo Domingo West. The officer was participating in a joint operation comprising members of the Regional Investigation Sub-Directorate, the Preventive Police, the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) and Lince units.
According to the official account, the officers were carrying out preventive patrol work when several armed men opened fire on them, triggering the confrontation in which Mella Brito was killed. During the gunfire Jorge Raylin, alias "El Menor", and Luis Javier Gregorio de la Cruz, known as "Patica" or "Flaco Gatillo", also died, identified by authorities as suspected criminals. Police Private Arturo Morillo Clinton and citizen José Manuel Capellán were wounded and received medical assistance.
On 11 May, the National Police reported that Juan Carlos Labal García, alias "Ricky", voluntarily turned himself in to the authorities. Spokesman Pesqueira indicated that Labal García was a fugitive after escaping from a penitentiary centre in La Vega and would be handed over to justice for his alleged involvement in the incident. The confrontation was partially captured in a video circulating on social media, showing part of the gunfire exchange during the operation.
Source: Google News DO — Santo Domingo