Bauer is the focus of a new Locked Up Abroad episode titled “Pop Star Smuggler.” The episode will detail his rise to fame in the bachata scene, as well as the circumstances that led to his arrest.
Dominican authorities suspected the pellets contained cocaine, but Rodriguez told the outlet that the laboratory tests showed it was 1.04 kilograms, or 2.2 pounds of pure heroin. Hispanic News Network reported that Bauer was sentenced to six years in Najayo prison, and was fined 50,000 pesos, or $1,282.16 for his heroin mule smuggling conviction.
According to Univision Noticias, however, the singer only served three years of his sentence before he was released. Najayo prison was famous for its mistreatment of common inmates, and its favoritism towards drug lords and white-collar criminals who paid off guards. “There were people sleeping on the floor all over the place, men sleeping standing up like animals,” said inmate Herman de Leon Polanco.
“It was hell.” According to Reuters, the prison has undergone drastic changes in the past decade, and is dedicated to shedding its once toxic reputation. “Their human rights need to be respected. Inmates deserve a healthy meal … an education, and access to healthcare,” said system director Ysmael Paniagua. “We don’t hire any guards who have had any previous experience with the military or police. We train people ourselves. We don’t want any connection to the traditional model because it is corrupt and corrupting.”
