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Court Orders Measures In Dominican Environmental Damage Case
A court in Monseñor Nouel has imposed travel restrictions and monthly reporting requirements on a man facing a legal case over alleged environmental damage in Piedra Blanca, including the cutting of about 1,000 trees.
A court in the Dominican Republic has imposed precautionary measures against Pedro Alexis Henríquez López, known as Alex Turey, in a case involving alleged environmental damage in Piedra Blanca, Monseñor Nouel province.
The Instruction Court of the Monseñor Nouel Judicial District issued the measures after reviewing evidence presented in a complaint filed by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. The ministry said technical inspections documented extensive damage to vegetation and land in the affected area.
Inspections Documented Extensive Environmental Damage
According to the Ministry of Environment, field inspections documented the indiscriminate cutting of approximately 1,000 trees of different species, intervention affecting about 400 tareas of land, and the unauthorized opening of two private roads.
Inspectors also identified areas affected by burning and the removal of understory vegetation. The findings prompted the ministry to compile technical evidence and pursue legal action over alleged violations of Dominican environmental and forestry legislation.
The complaint was filed on August 13, 2025, before the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Defense of the Environment and Natural Resources. The ministry brought the case against Henríquez López alleging possible violations of General Law No. 64-00 on the Environment and Natural Resources and Sectoral Forestry Law No. 57-18.
Defendant Must Report Monthly
After considering the evidence submitted during the judicial process, the court imposed two precautionary measures under Article 230 of the Dominican Criminal Procedure Code: a travel restriction requiring judicial authorization and periodic reporting.
Henríquez López must appear before the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judicial Criminal Chamber Secretariat of Monseñor Nouel on the sixth day of each month, in accordance with the monitoring mechanism established by the court.
The measures are part of the ongoing judicial process and do not constitute a final determination of criminal responsibility.
Ministry Separates Environmental Enforcement From Criminal Prosecution
The Ministry of Environment emphasized that its role includes identifying potential environmental violations, conducting field inspections, documenting damage through technical evidence and taking the administrative and legal actions provided by law.
The institution also clarified that criminal investigations and prosecutions fall under the responsibility of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, while judicial decisions remain within the jurisdiction of the courts.
The distinction is significant in environmental cases because inspections and administrative actions can provide evidence of potential violations, while the judicial system determines the legal consequences through the corresponding proceedings.
Government Reaffirms Environmental Protection Priority
The Ministry of Environment said it will continue strengthening surveillance, enforcement and legal action against interventions that could damage the Dominican Republic’s natural resources.
The case in Piedra Blanca highlights the role of environmental authorities in monitoring forested areas and documenting damage to vegetation and land. The ministry said it will continue referring documented cases to the competent authorities and pursuing the actions established by law.
For the time being, the judicial process against Henríquez López continues under the precautionary measures ordered by the court. The final outcome will depend on the evidence and proceedings before the Dominican justice system.
