On February 12, 2026, a DEA Supervisory Special Agent assigned to the Diplomatic Mission in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was arrested based on an arrest warrant following a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy, bribery, and visa fraud. Meliton Cordero was charged in the District of Columbia. From in or around December 2025 and January 2026, Cordero accepted bribes totaling $7,000 in exchange for facilitating the issuance of U.S. Visas. The investigation is being conducted by the OIG’s Houston Office, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Department of State (DoS) Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
Date Issued
Case Action
Indictment/Charge/Arrest