Hoy newspaper highlights the depredation of removing gravel and sand from the Haina River by trucks that are under the custody of military. The newspaper said that while the extraction of the construction materials is prohibited, more than 15 trucks were seen transporting truckloads of sand. A soldier interviewed by the reporters said, "There are so many trucks, we have lost count." He added, however, that he could not do anything "because a general is involved, and I do not want to be fired." Hoy reports that construction companies backed by the support of high-ranking military members have been extracting the materials. In the community, the Ministry of Environment prohibited the removal of the materials, which did not appear to hinder the influential companies. Hoy newspaper reported that mechanic shovels work rapidly to load the 14-16 cubic-meter trucks. Reporters said they observed more than 15 trucks leave in less than 20 minutes. Witnesses said that when an Hoy photographer was detected, one person, driving aboard a pick-up truck with official license plate OCO-2224, left the site, where eight trucks remained behind waiting for their cargo. The construction company has allegedly extracted considerable construction materials, under the guise of using it to repair a stretch of highway between Hato Nuevo, one of the affected communities, and Km 22 of Duarte Highway.