Major General Ernesto Rafael Rodriguez Garcia took command of the Dominican Republic's National Police on Tuesday during an official handover ceremony in Santo Domingo.
Interior and Police Minister Faride Raful presided over the event to formally position Rodriguez Garcia as director general. The ceremony took place one day after President Luis Abinader swore him into office.
Speaking at the ceremony, Raful expressed the government's full support for the new police leadership. She also offered public thanks to retired Major General Andres Modesto Cruz Cruz for his service while leading the institution.
Legal decree and rank promotion
Abinader appointed Rodriguez Garcia through Decree 558-26, which also ordered his immediate promotion from general to major general. The rank advancement satisfied statutory rules governing top police leadership.
Under the Organic Law of the National Police, the position of director general must be held by an active officer with the rank of major general. The executive order ensured Rodriguez Garcia met the legal criteria before taking operational control.
The Dominican National Police is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for public safety across the Caribbean nation. Operating under the Ministry of Interior and Police, the agency maintains its headquarters in the capital city of Santo Domingo.
End of brief tenure for outgoing chief
The transition brought an end to a relatively brief period of leadership under Cruz Cruz. Appointed police chief on February 17, 2026, under Decree 111-26, Cruz Cruz completed the shortest tenure of any director general in the last 30 years.
Alongside the appointment of his successor, the executive branch issued a decree placing the former commander into honorable retirement status.
Internal trajectory and security challenges
Rodriguez Garcia arrived at the head of the force after climbing through the internal command structure of the institution. Prior to his promotion, he served as inspector general of the National Police, having been named to that position earlier this year under Decree 133-26.
His promotion comes as the Dominican police force remains engaged in a wider process of reform and transformation pushed by the government. The institution continues to face routine demands related to citizen security, crime fighting, and strengthening internal supervision and discipline.
The change in police leadership forms part of a broader cabinet reorganization and restructuring of high-level military and police commands ordered by Abinader over the weekend.
