Dominican Republic Tourist Deaths: 2 More American Tourists Added To Mystery List
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The U.S. State Department has confirmed the deaths of two more Americans in the Dominican Republic over the last three years.
The FBI is investigating the deaths of nine other American tourists who passed away under mysterious circumstances over the last year.
On Friday, the island's tourism minister claimed the rash of deaths are not a mystery.
"All of the deaths that have occurred, the causes have been determined and the results are… there does not exist, there does not exist any mystery as to how they died in the Dominican Republic," Francisco Javier García declared.
Joseph Allen of New Jersey, died in the D.R. last week.
His cause of his death has not been released. Local autopsies concluded most of the other Americans died of alleged respiratory problems or heart attacks.
MORE: New York Woman Vomited Blood After Drink At Dominican Republic Resort Where 3 Americans Died
CBS News is reporting that a team of investigators from the FBI is now in the troubled Caribbean nation. Until now, the bureau has only been running toxicology tests from its labs in Virginia.
MORE: Staten Island Mother Becomes The Latest Person To Mysteriously Die In The Dominican Republic
In the case of a Staten Island woman vacationing on her own, Dominican officials claimed their toxicology machine was broken and no report would be filed.
Local officials also made the shocking claim that another American tourist simply died of "shock" after seeing her husband die.
Lawmakers in the United States are calling on the State Dept. to raise the current travel alert status for tourists heading to the Caribbean island.
List Of Recent American Deaths In The Dominican Republic
- June 17, 2019: Vittorio Caruso, 56, from Glen Cove, N.Y.
Died after "drinking something," cause of death not officially determined. - June 13, 2019: Joseph Allen, 55, of Avenel, N.J.
Died at Terra Linda resort in Sosua, Dominican Republic. Cause of death yet to be officially determined. - June 10, 2019: Leyla Cox, 53, of Staten Island, N.Y.
Died at the Excellence Resorts in Punta Cana. Cause of death in DR ruled a heart attack. - May 30, 2019: Edward Nathaniel Holmes, 63, of Maryland.
Died at the Grand Bahia Principe in La Romana. DR officials ruled cause of death as respiratory failure, along with Cynthia Day. - May 30, 2019: Cynthia Day, 49, of Maryland.
Died at the Grand Bahia Principe in La Romana. DR officials ruled cause of death as respiratory failure, along with Nathaniel Holmes. - May 25, 2019: Miranda Schaup-Werner, 41, of Allentown, Pa.
Died at the Bahia Principe resort in La Romana. Cause of death ruled heart attack and respiratory failure. - March 27, 2019: Orlando Moore, 40, of Westchester County, N.Y.
Body recovered from the sea near San Souci on March 31, linked to a traffic crash on March 27 with Ravenelle. - March 27, 2019: Portia Ravenelle, 52, of Westchester County, N.Y.
Found alive on highway in DR, later died of injuries at a hospital, linked to a traffic crash on March 27 with Moore. - April 12, 2019: Robert Wallace, 67, of California.
Died at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana of a heart attack after being served a scotch at the bar. - April 2019: John Corcoran of Turlock, California
Death in DR reported by CNN through his sister, "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran. - July 2018: David Harrison of Maryland.
Died at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana of a heart attack. - June 2018: Yvette Monique Sport of Pennsylvania.
According to CNN reports, she died after drinking from her hotel room's mini-bar at the Bahia Principe in Punta Cana. - May 2018: Donette Edge Cannon of Queens, N.Y.
Died at hospital of kidney failure after stay in Punta Cana.