While I was out-and-about this weekend, I asked people about the mysterious deaths in the Dominican Republic. I've talked about this on the radio show: are the deaths connected? Or, as DR officials maintain, is this a normal amount of death and illness given over 2-million Americans visit every year?
To a person, my friends told me that they think the deaths are related. I think most Americans agree with my friends. Travel to DR is down a WHOPPING 74% from last year.
I've reported that the FBI is looking into the illnesses and death. But now it appears the investigation is about to expand.
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is demanding U.S. agencies start an independent investigation into a string of American deaths in the Dominican Republic.
Schumer wants the suspicious deaths looked into by the bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Centers for Disease Control to try and get answers. Three of those killed are from the New York area including a woman from Queens, Staten Island and a man from Glen Cove.
Officials in the Dominican Republic maintain that the tourists all died of natural causes. The curious thing is almost all died of the same natural cause after having something to drink. Five of the autopsies were complete as of last week, while three were undergoing further toxicological analysis with the help from the FBI because of the circumstances of the deaths.
I do think we'll figure out what is going on - because until the situation is resolved, the economy of the Dominican Republic is going to suffer. Officials can't just maintain that nothing is going on - they now have a financial incentive to figure out what is happening.