WATCH: 20 Haitian migrants without documents found packed inside SUV in Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic: A viral video surfacing over the internet shows 20 Haitian migrants packed inside a small SUV as the Dominican Republic Army personnel stopped a small, white Honda CR-V near a military checkpoint, Macheteros, located in the northwestern region of the country on July 8, 2026.

The soldiers can be seen inspecting the vehicle as 20 Haitian nationals emerged from the car’s seats, and trunk, as they were packed into the compact SUV.

According to the Dominican Republic authority’s statements, the group included 10 men, 6 women, and 4 children without any immigration status. The footage of the incident has been circulated widely online. It showed the passengers filing out of the vehicle one by one and the Haitians can be seen cooperating with soldiers as they exited.

The group was reportedly taken into custody for immigration processing and the driver was detained for investigation.

This is a part of a much larger enforcement drive as the Dominican migration authorities have deported more than 670,000 Haitians since late 2024. In June 2026, more than 34,000 people were deported. Also, The incident comes as the Dominican Republic is continuing its crackdown on undocumented migration from neighbouring Haiti.

Haiti is currently facing a worsening humanitarian and security crisis driven by gang violence, thousands have fled across the border in search of safety.

President Luis Abinader's government has expanded border enforcement and increased deportations as it has been firm on this approach since 2024 as they have been tightening checkpoints and stepping up patrols across the country. However, the policy has been getting criticism from the United Nations and human rights organisations, including Amnesty International.

Several similar incidents have been recorded in the country in recent years as the authorities are continuously intensifying checkpoint operations across the nation.

As per the reports, no further details on the group, including their intended destination, have been released by authorities.