The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped all charges against 31-year-old Luis De Los Santos, a native of the Dominican Republic, who was previously charged with arson in connection with a fire that caused damage to the Immigration Detention Centre at Coolidge. De Los Santos is now facing deportation proceedings.
De Los Santos spent several days behind bars after being denied bail last week by Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel. However, when he went back to court on Tuesday, the charge was dropped and his deportation was ordered.
The original incident occurred at approximately 4:20 pm on Monday, 18 August 2025, when Police and Fire Department personnel responded to a fire report at the Antigua Air Station Military Base, where the Immigration Detention Centre is housed. Two detention rooms were found engulfed in flames before firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze, averting further damage to existing buildings.
De Los Santos, who was detained by the Immigration Department at the time, was treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries sustained during the incident.
