Canada sanctions ex-Haitian officials, gang leader amid surging violence

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Canada has imposed sanctions on three Haitian individuals—two former security officials and a powerful gang leader—marking Ottawa’s first action against Haitian individuals in months as fears grow over gangs’ expanding influence in Haiti and beyond.

The sanctions target Dimitri Hérard, former head of security at the National Palace; Jeantel Joseph, former director of the Agency for Protected Areas; and Jeff “Gwo Lwa” Larose, leader of the Canaan gangs. The move brings the total number of Haitian individuals sanctioned by Canada to 34.

Despite the announcement, Canada has not introduced any new measures to combat Haiti’s spiraling violence, and the sanctions come amid mounting criticism that international responses—especially from Western allies—have been largely symbolic. The timing suggests Ottawa is responding to fears of gangs’ global reach rather than taking new action to curb the violence itself.

Canada’s first Haiti sanctions in months

Global Affairs Canada office announced the sanctions on March 21. The measures freeze the individuals’ Canadian assets and prohibit Canadians from engaging in transactions with them. The three are also barred from entering Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

“Canada remains committed to supporting Haiti and its people. We urge the international community to join Canada in holding accountable those who fuel violence and instability in Haiti,” said Mélanie Joly, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs and international development.

However, the last time Canada sanctioned Haitian individuals was in June 2024, during an earlier wave of international action against Haitian elites accused of financing gangs. Since then, Canada had gone quiet on the matter—even as gang control over Port-au-Prince grew.

Many observers are now asking why the renewed sanctions are being taken and whether Canada and the rest of the international community will back its condemnation with tangible support.

Who are the newly sanctioned individuals?

Dimitri Hérard
Once the head of security at Haiti’s National Palace, Hérard is accused of involvement in arms trafficking and corruption. His name surfaced in connection to the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. After being detained, Hérard escaped from prison on March 1, 2024, when gangs orchestrated a massive jailbreak that freed nearly 4,000 inmates.

Jeantel Joseph
The former head of Haiti’s Agency for Protected Areas (ANAP), Joseph, was dismissed in October 2024 after being accused of colluding with armed groups. He had aligned himself with fugitive former senator Guy Philippe, supporting an armed movement against the Haitian government.

Jeff Larose
Leader of the Canaan gangs, Larose controls the northern entrance to Port-au-Prince, extorting travelers and carrying out kidnappings along National Road 1. His gang is responsible for deadly attacks in L’Arcahaie and Cabaret communes, where residents have been killed, homes burned, and entire communities displaced.

Symbolic sanctions amid rising violence

Canada’s move comes at a time when violence in Haiti is at its worst in years. Since early 2025, gangs have launched new attacks across the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, taking control of neighborhoods block by block. Major criminal groups like Kokorat San Ras and Gran Grif have also instilled fear in the lower Artibonite region, killing scores of people and burning homes and farms. At the same time, Haitian and international forces remain powerless.  Casualties among MSS forces continue to rise, as at least two Kenyan police officers of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) were killed and others injured.

Residents in Kenscoff, Delmas, Carrefour-Feuilles, and Canapé Vert have protested as gunmen take over their communities, demanding government intervention. Police forces remain overwhelmed and under-equipped, while the long-promised Kenyan-led MSS has struggled to gain traction, with fewer than half of the expected 2,500 personnel currently deployed.

Meanwhile, the gangs’ influence continues to extend beyond Haiti’s borders. The United States recently filed charges against Johnson “Izo” André, a notorious gang leader of Village de Dieu, Port-au-Prince, who was accused of kidnapping an American citizen in 2023. The case marks one of the rare instances where foreign governments have pursued direct legal action against Haitian gang members. However, Izo remains one of the most powerful figures controlling territory in Haiti..

What’s next?

While Canada’s latest sanctions acknowledge Haiti’s worsening crisis, they do little to alter the situation on the ground. Haitian authorities remain largely on their own in the fight against gangs, with international responses limited to financial penalties and diplomatic statements.

Unless Ottawa follows its words with concrete action—such as funding for the MSS, equipment support for Haiti’s police, or a coordinated crackdown on gang-affiliated individuals in Canada—the impact of these sanctions is likely to be minimal.

For now, Haitians continue to face daily violence, with no clear resolution in sight.

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