Haitian police arrest 10 in escalating drug trafficking crackdown

PORT-DE-PAIX — Haitian police authorities arrested 10 individuals, 5 men and 5 women, in late May for their alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking, seizing quantities of cocaine and marijuana in two separate operations that highlight the deepening entrenchment of drug crime across the country—including within Haiti’s law enforcement institutions.

Eight suspects were arrested in the coastal Saint-Louis-du-Nord commune, a known smuggling corridor in the northwest, while two others were apprehended on Île-à-Vache, a small island in the South, authorities said during a press briefing on June 2.

“This is a threat to us citizens; the illegal drug trade must be stopped in our community,” Edner Pierre Louis, 53, a resident of Saint-Louis-du-Nord, said in an interview with The Haitian Times.

The arrests followed a joint operation involving the Haitian National Police’s anti-narcotics brigade (BLTS), the justice system and local authorities. Police spokesperson Toussaint Lafortune confirmed that packages of cocaine and marijuana were seized but declined to specify the quantities.

Official mugshots of the detained individuals are listed on the Haitian National Police’s (PNH) Facebook. They include: Betty Luc, 57; Cassandra Joseph, 23; Louna Daniel, 30; Onès Charlestin, 25; Cepoudy P. Febe O. Botlet, 25; Wilson Evariste, 27; Valéry Adyel, 28; Paul Almando, 26; Mickel-Ange Pierre; and Rorose Myrtil.                                                                                                                                                        

Lafortune stated that, during their intervention, the BLTS agents seized 106,350 gourdes, approximately $815 in cash, two bank checkbooks and a Haojin motorcycle allegedly used for transportation.

Judge of the Peace Court in Saint-Louis-du-Nord, Eden Lubin, said two suspects were intercepted with drugs while returning home, leading police to the residence where the others were found. “After the investigation, I ordered BLTS officers and judicial authorities to take necessary legal action,” Lubin added.

Recurring drug trade hotspot reveals police complicity          

Saint-Louis-du-Nord has a documented history of drug trafficking activity. In November 2020, two young men, Vilsaint Pyrlet and Berlin François, were caught with marijuana packages in the same area. Yet systemic accountability remains elusive.

Last year, police announced seizures of over 20 pounds of cocaine and about 14 pounds of marijuana, though significantly down from 2022 figures: about 28 pounds of cocaine and 841 pounds of marijuana. However, experts suggest these reported figures barely scratch the surface of the actual volume of drug movement across these regions.

International networks and an institutional vacuum have facilitated an increase in illicit trade and trafficking, experts say.

Not even law enforcement is immune. In August 2024, six police officers—including Regional Inspector Maxonel Déus and Divisional Commissioner Léonel Joseph—were implicated in trafficking cocaine through the northwest. Four were arrested and later released; two fled the country. No further information has been made public about the proceedings and investigations conducted in the case.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Haiti has long served as a trafficking hub. As early as the late 1990s, up to 15% of cocaine bound for the U.S. passed through the country. A 2024 UNODC report warns that Haitian drug routes are growing increasingly sophisticated, facilitated by collusion among former military officers, parliamentarians, businessmen and gangs.

Haiti, located in the Caribbean basin on the island of Hispaniola—shared with the Dominican Republic—serves as a significant and strategic crossroads for drug trafficking. In 1996, it was estimated that 5 to 6% of cocaine destined for the United States transited through. By the end of 1997, this figure had tripled and continued to rise, according to a 2005 Miami Herald article quoted by the Citizens’ Organization for a New Haiti (OCNH, its French acronym). In the article, The Miami Herald highlighted the fact that “Colombian traffickers use the island as a platform for re-export to the United States, with the complicity of the Dominican mafia.”

Yet Haiti’s primary anti-drug agency, the National Commission for the Fight Against Drugs (CONALD), has struggled to establish control after more than two decades in operation. Despite widespread trafficking and increasing public concern, CONALD has not issued any comprehensive assessments of the narcotics threat to the nation. It appears to be inactive, as its site has been down. The agency has not responded to emails requesting comment, either.

South sees arrests linked to Jamaican cartels amid systemic failure and public demand for action

Meanwhile, on Île-à-Vache, two women—Mickel-Ange Pierre and Rorose Myrtil—were arrested for allegedly working with Jamaican traffickers. Authorities said they had been sought for weeks due to their ties to marijuana smuggling networks.

The UNODC also notes a sharp rise in arms trafficking since 2021, with shipments often originating from Florida and transiting through the Dominican Republic before reaching Haitian gangs.

The convergence of narcotics and arms trafficking, gang violence and institutional dysfunction has left rural and coastal communities like Saint-Louis-du-Nord and Ile-à-Vache desperate for intervention. As trafficking becomes more entrenched, fueled by local complicity and regional networks, residents are calling for a comprehensive government response—and accountability at every level.

“The judiciary authorities must step up and take strict measures to prevent the circulation of drugs in the country,” said Saint-Louis-du-Nord resident Wilnès Déliard.

The post Haitian police arrest 10 in escalating drug trafficking crackdown appeared first on The Haitian Times.