A 31-year-old New York Police Department officer and mother of three died early Sunday after undergoing breast implant removal surgery at a clinic in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, prompting her family to demand a full investigation into potential medical malpractice in the case.
Officer Rebecca De Paula was a decorated member of the NYPD’s 46th Precinct in the Bronx, an area she was deeply committed to serving. De Paula had recently been honored as officer of the month by the 46th Precinct for her community work and dedication to the neighborhood. She joined the New York Police Department just 18 months earlier, in January 2025, and quickly earned recognition for her commitment to both her job and her faith. She was also a pastor alongside her husband.
De Paula traveled to the Dominican Republic approximately one week before her death to undergo the surgical procedure. According to her relatives and Dominican news media, she developed a bacterial infection following the operation. She suffered complications including severe diarrhea after the surgery, and doctors reportedly mentioned a possible bacterial infection as a contributing factor. De Paula was being treated at a clinic in Santo Domingo when her condition deteriorated.
Her family is now demanding answers about the medical care she received. Dominican authorities have not publicly identified the clinic or the surgeon involved in the procedure, and the identities remain under investigation. Dominican National Police spokesman Diego Pesqueira said investigators are awaiting the results of an autopsy and forensic examinations being conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) before determining the official cause of death or whether any medical negligence was involved.
“At the moment, the National Police, our investigators and the Public Prosecutor’s Office are waiting for the autopsy and forensic examination being carried out by INACIF so we can continue the investigation,” authorities said, noting that the investigation remains open and investigators will not speculate on the cause of death until findings are complete.
De Paula’s death represents a troubling addition to growing concerns about the risks of medical tourism in Latin America, particularly in the Dominican Republic, which has become one of the world’s most popular destinations for cosmetic procedures because of significantly lower costs compared to the United States.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 93 Americans died after undergoing cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic between 2009 and 2022. The CDC found that deaths increased sharply after 2019, with fat embolism and pulmonary thromboembolism—blood clots—identified as the leading causes in cases reviewed. Deaths spiked from an average of 4.1 per year during 2009 to 2018, to a mean of 13 per year between 2019 and 2022, with a peak of 17 deaths in 2020.
De Paula’s case marks the second recent death of an American law enforcement officer who traveled to the Dominican Republic for cosmetic surgery. In 2022, a corrections captain from Rikers Island suffered a fatal stroke after undergoing a Brazilian butt lift procedure at a clinic in Santo Domingo.
The Dominican Republic has become popular for medical tourism because it is close to the United States, has existing tourism infrastructure, and some doctors from the Dominican Republic advertise their services in the U.S., making it an attractive destination for Americans seeking affordable procedures.
De Paula is survived by her pastor husband and three young children, who remain in New York awaiting the repatriation of her remains. The Dominican Officers’ Fraternal Association and her colleagues have described her as someone dedicated to her faith and community. Tributes from her fellow officers poured in on social media and through police channels, honoring her service and memory.
The Police Department has not immediately issued a statement regarding her death.