Published Friday, 13 November 2026 · Source: Dominican National Police report
Four people died in a gunfight between National Police officers and suspects on Circunvalación Norte avenue in Santiago, the Dominican Republic’s second-largest city, on the night of Thursday 12 November 2026. One of the dead was Sergeant Juan Isaac Espinal Jiménez of the police criminal investigation directorate (Dicrim) for the Cibao Central region, the northern farming region of the country.
Police said officers were trying to arrest two men wanted over earlier killings when the shooting began. Authorities say the case remains under investigation and that they will share more details as it advances.
What Police Say Happened
According to the police report, Dicrim officers were following Eduardo Paúl Pérez Mercado, alias Maca, 39, and Edward de Jesús Pérez Silverio, alias Carlos or Coco, 36. The two men were travelling in an SUV with a 29-year-old woman, Andrelina Santos Sosa, alias La Patrona.
Shots were exchanged on the avenue, and Sergeant Espinal was fatally wounded. The woman and one of the men also died, police said.
Police said Pérez Silverio escaped the first exchange. A patrol found him later, and he died in a second exchange of fire, according to the police report.
File photo, 2019. Dominican National Police pickup trucks parked beside a town plaza. Photo: Thony clase, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Who Police Say They Were Hunting
Police said Pérez Silverio faced an arrest warrant over the April 2024 shooting deaths of Heidy María Gabriela and Ángelo Benjamín Hernández Rodríguez, known as Tres Pies, on the Guayacanal road in Santiago. Police also linked him to a 2008 death during an attempted robbery and gave no further details.
Pérez Mercado was wanted on arrest warrants, police said, including one over the killing of Jesús María Cabrera Peña in June 2025 in the Cienfuegos district. Police also linked him to a 2022 shooting in the Bella Vista area that killed two people and wounded a police officer.
These are police allegations that no court has tested. Authorities have so far offered no background on Santos Sosa.
What Is Not Known
Reports differ on whether Sergeant Espinal died at the scene or later while receiving medical care. Police have not said who fired first or how many shots were exchanged.
No autopsy results have been published for the four dead. Investigators have not said whether other people were involved.
What It Means for You
The police account describes an operation against two named, wanted men, not an attack on the public, and it lists no bystanders among the dead. Visitors to Santiago should follow the current US State Department travel advice for the Dominican Republic.
For background on the city, see our Santiago de los Caballeros city guide. Our recent security coverage includes Dominican Police Seize Rifles and 3D Printer and Dominican Fishermen Found Dead Near Haiti.
More: Dominican Republic news in English.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who died in the Santiago shootout?
Police named Sergeant Juan Isaac Espinal Jiménez and the three people in the vehicle: Eduardo Paúl Pérez Mercado, Edward de Jesús Pérez Silverio and Andrelina Santos Sosa. All four died on Thursday 12 November 2026.
Where did the gunfight happen?
It happened on Circunvalación Norte avenue in Santiago, the Dominican Republic’s second-largest city. A second exchange of fire later killed one of the men police were pursuing, according to police.
Why were police pursuing the men?
Police said two of the men were wanted on arrest warrants linked to earlier killings in Santiago. These are police allegations, and no court has ruled on them.
Is the investigation finished?
No. Authorities say the case is under investigation and that they will release more details as it advances.
Sources: Dominican National Police preliminary report, 13 November 2026, as published in Dominican news media; US State Department travel advice.