- At least 13 US tourists have died while staying at all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic since June 2018, a State Department official confirmed to CNN.
- Several other US tourists have alleged they were poisoned at a Dominican Republic resort, and one woman alleged she was brutally attacked at a Punta Cana resort in January. Police are still investigating.
- In a non-suspicious incident, Portia Ravenelle and Orlando Moore, of New York, died in a car crash in March while driving to the airport.
- Here's a closer look at each of the deaths and other cases of tourists getting sick or assaulted in the Dominican Republic in the past year.
- Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.
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At least 13 Americans have died in the Dominican Republic under suspicious circumstances since June 2018 — and several other tourists claim they were poisoned or attacked in the country.
The State Department has confirmed the deaths of several US tourists who have died while staying at all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic since June 2018. Most of them died from heart attacks, pulmonary edemas, or other apparent natural causes.
Three tourists all died of respiratory failure while staying at Bahia Principe hotel at the Playa Nueva Romana resort in La Romana, about 50 miles west of Punta Cana, in May. Another woman died at a hotel in the same resort chain last June, her family told NBC 10, and several other tourists have said they were poisoned by drinks at the same resort chain.
At the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino resort in Punta Cana, two men died in separate incidents in April 2019 and June 2018. There are now reports of US tourist deaths at other Dominican Republic resorts, as well.
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Additionally, a Delaware woman alleged she was brutally attacked at another Dominican Republic hotel. Police said they are investigating her claims, though have said there are inconsistencies in the case.
The country is a popular vacation destination, with over 6 million tourists visiting the white sand beaches, tropical rainforests, and all-inclusive resorts every year.
In 2018, 13 Americans died in the Dominican Republic. Four of the deaths were the results of drownings, four were auto accidents, two were homicides, one was suicide, and one was an undisclosed accident, the US State Department reported.
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The US State Department told INSIDER that it doesn't publish data regarding natural deaths abroad, but said there has not been "an uptick in the number of US citizen deaths reported" in the Dominican Republic compared to previous years.
All of this year's incidents appear to be unrelated. And while tourism is crucial to the region, the recent deaths have raised concerns among visitors.
Here's a closer look at each of the deaths and other cases of tourists getting sick or assaulted in the Dominican Republic in the past year.
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