Army general Miguel Antonio Encarnacion de la Rosa placed on retirement last August, boarded Dutch Caribbean Express airline flight 367 to the Lesser Antilles via San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Diariolibre.com added that the retired officer, who faced an investigation in connection with the Omega case, was able leave before the very noses of the security agencies which now probe the widening scandal.

The background story:

Top pop music figure at center of luggage smuggling case

The Airport Security Corp (CESA) revealed Tuesday that several members including some officers are being investigated in connection with the manner in which the pop music figure Antonio Peter de la Rosa (Omega) took three suitcases from the Las Americas International Airport’s ramp area without going through Customs.

CESA spokesman Fidel Sanchez said a commission investigates whether the personnel under arrest are responsible for taking de la Rosa and his luggage were escorted out of the ramp area, in violation of civil aviation laws.

According to reports, investigators try to identify the personnel that helped the pop star and the area where they had taken the suitcases, which were placed in a twin cabin Toyota pickup without going through security checks, after he arrived Monday aboard Jet Blue flight 819 from New York.

Although investigators didn’t provide a name, reports also point to a retired general as being part of the group that smuggled the luggage.

NYPD confirms arrest of pop star bodyguard

NEW YORK.- New York City Police (NYPD) on Wednesday confirmed the arrest  of one the pop music star Antonio Peter de la Rosa’s (Omega) bodyguards, when agents intercepted a Rolls Royce he was driving near St Nicholas avenue and 191st in Upper Manhattan, at 7 a.m. Sunday.

It identified the detainee as Jose Olivo “El Teniente” (the Lieutenant), seizing from him a portion of an unspecified controlled substance and a knife.

The NYPD said Olivo was charged with drug possession and carrying a weapon illegally, adding that there were no further arrests in the case,

Sources close to the merengue bandleader quoted by elnuevodiario.com.do revealed that the police frisked Omega, but released him since they didn’t find anything illegal.

Dominican Watchdog Note: More drugs than music!! When ever a general is involved in something criminal, they are usually protected by the President and the only penalty in the Dominican Republic is to be placed on retirement. It's the first time one have fled the country, there must be more to this story......... Below are other cases showing that drug money is funding Dominican music:

Owner of pop group Aventura charged with drug trafficking in New York

Dominican-American singer Jimmy Bauer smuggling drugs in his stomach

Also - Dominican baseball called a wasteland of crime and drugs, Yahoo reports