Dominican President Luis Abinader has appointed General Ernesto Rafael Rodríguez García as National Police director general, replacing Major General Andrés Modesto Cruz Cruz.
Rodríguez García was promoted to the rank of major general to take charge of the agency, while Cruz Cruz was placed in honorable retirement following an abrupt departure after just six months in office.
The sudden leadership transition took place on Monday, August 17, 2026, in Santo Domingo. President Abinader had previously designated Cruz Cruz to lead the force on February 17, 2026, under Decree 111-26, when he replaced Ramón Antonio Guzmán Peralta.
The official announcement from the Executive Branch did not specify the reasons for replacing Cruz Cruz. Instead, official communications noted that the change is part of an ongoing reorganization carried out by the government across various state agencies.
Internal oversight and career background
Before his promotion to director general, Rodríguez García served as inspector general of the National Police, a key internal oversight position responsible for monitoring operations and institutional discipline.
Abinader had appointed Rodríguez García to the inspectorate general on February 27, 2026, through Decree 133-26, just ten days after Cruz Cruz assumed leadership of the police force.
The appointment marks a notable parallel between the two officers. Cruz Cruz had served as inspector general between 2023 and February 2026 before being elevated to director general. Rodríguez García succeeded Cruz Cruz as inspector general and has now succeeded him once again at the head of the institution.
As inspector general, the oversight division supervises police operations and internal controls. During Cruz Cruz's six months in command, Rodríguez García oversaw agent inspections, compliance with institutional standards, and officer training programs.
Those educational initiatives focused on human rights, domestic violence prevention, and the proportional use of force.
Operational experience and police reform
Rodríguez García brings extensive operational and administrative experience to the director general role, having held senior commands across multiple divisions of the National Police.
He previously served as director of the General Directorate of Traffic and Ground Transportation Safety, known as Digesett, until September 2020. The agency oversees road safety and traffic enforcement across the Dominican Republic.
Following his tenure at Digesett, Rodríguez García commanded regional and specialized units, serving as Regional Director for Cibao Central, headquartered in Santiago, the country's second largest city. He also served as director of the Central District in Santo Domingo.
Later, as Central Director of Prevention, Rodríguez García served as a core member of the police high command during the tenure of former chief Ramón Antonio Guzmán Peralta.
His ascension to top command comes as the Dominican government continues to execute a comprehensive reform of the National Police. The initiative includes expanding a new street patrolling model, updating officer training curricula, increasing technology adoption with body-worn cameras, and building enhanced supervision tools.
Cruz Cruz had assumed office tasked with advancing this transformation. Over his six months leading the force, he participated in drafting new institutional regulations linked to the reform of the Organic Law of the National Police.
Broader government reorganization
The leadership change in the National Police comes amid a wider series of high-level personnel changes ordered by President Abinader.
Between Sunday, August 16, and Monday, August 17, 2026, the Executive Branch announced adjustments across several government departments and military commands as part of the broader administrative restructuring.
