U.S. Treasury sanctions former Haitian President Michel Martelly for drug trafficking | BREAKING NEWS

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned former Haitian President Michel Joseph Martelly, known for his controversial transition from a popular musician to the presidency, for his alleged role in facilitating drug trafficking activities and supporting gang violence in Haiti. The sanctions, issued on August 20, 2024, under Executive Order 14059, emphasize Martelly’s alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade, which has exacerbated the ongoing crisis in Haiti, according to a press release from the Treasury.

“Today’s action against Martelly emphasizes the significant and destabilizing role he and other corrupt political elites have played in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in Haiti,” said Bradley T. Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. The sanctions are part of the U.S. government’s efforts to disrupt the activities of those fueling gang violence and political instability in Haiti.

Before entering politics, Martelly was widely known as “Sweet Micky,” a successful and often controversial musician who dominated Haiti’s konpa music scene. His energetic performances and provocative style made him a household name, and his popularity eventually paved the way for his political career. In 2011, Martelly won the presidency, where his tenure was marked by promises of economic development and political reform but also by allegations of corruption and links to criminal elements.

The U.S. Treasury now accuses Martelly of abusing his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States. He allegedly engaged in money laundering and worked with Haitian drug traffickers, sponsoring several Haiti-based gangs.

These sanctions prohibit U.S. financial institutions from making loans or providing credit to Martelly and bar U.S. persons from investing in or purchasing significant amounts of his assets. Martelly has also been added to the Non-SDN Menu-Based Sanctions List, as per the Treasury Department’s release.

This marks the second time Martelly has been sanctioned, following similar measures taken by the Canadian government in November 2022. The U.S. Treasury coordinated with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on this sanctions action.

Martelly Already Sanctioned in 2022

Martelly, who served as President of Haiti from 2011 to 2016, is already subject to international sanctions. In November 2022, Canada added Martelly, along with two former prime ministers, Laurent Salvador Lamothe and Jean-Henry Céant, to its sanctions list. At that time, Canada indicated that Haitian political elites were using their positions, whether former or current, to protect and support criminal gang activities, thereby contributing to a severe humanitarian crisis and threatening regional peace and security. 

The sanctions targeted the freezing of all assets held in Canada by Martelly and the former prime ministers. Additionally, it was prohibited for any person or entity in Canada, as well as Canadians and Canadian entities abroad, to conduct transactions involving the listed individuals’ assets, engage in transactions with them, provide them with services, or make assets available to them.

“Sanctioned individuals directly benefit from gang activities and are associated with a system of corruption,” explained Mélanie Joly, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, during a press conference in Djerba on the sidelines of the Francophonie summit.

Although the UN Security Council, through its Haiti expert committee, has been slow to impose sanctions on Haitian figures, a report published by the committee in October 2023 accuses former President Martelly, former Senate President Youri Latortue, and businessman Reynold Deeb of maintaining links with gangs that terrorize the population in Haiti. 

According to this report, UN experts reveal that Martelly not only financed several gangs by providing them with weapons during his term but is also said to be the founder of a gang group known as Base 257. This group, whose leader was in prison before the escape from the capital’s civil prison, is alleged to be involved in criminal activities such as murders, kidnappings, thefts, and drug trafficking.

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