US Sanctions Former Haitian President for Drug Trafficking

By Matthew Impelli
Writer

The U.S. Department of Treasury announced sanctions this week against former Haitian President Michel Joseph Martelly for allegations of drug trafficking.

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the former President of Haiti, Michel Joseph Martelly (Martelly), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 of December 15, 2021, ‘Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade,'” the U.S. Treasury Department said in a press release on Tuesday.

Then-Haitian President Michel Martelly is seen during a ceremony in the Haitian Parliament on February 7, 2016, in Port-au-Prince. On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against the former Haitian president for drug trafficking. **HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES**

Bradley T. Smith, the Treasury Department’s Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said that the sanctions emphasize “the significant and destabilizing role he [Martelly] and other corrupt political elites have played in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in Haiti.”

Smith added, “The United States, along with our international partners, is committed to disrupting those who facilitate the drug trafficking, corruption, and other illicit activities fueling the horrific gang violence and political instability.”

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Over the past several months, Haiti has been experiencing widespread violence from gangs who have sought to take control of local neighborhoods. Peaceful protesters have reported being teargassed by local police officials after calling them to respond to the gang violence.

In July, the United Nations published a report on Haiti showing that gang violence in the nation has resulted in the displacement of over 300,000 children since May. The gang violence has resulted in children being exposed to poor hygiene and disease with many being forced to build makeshift shelters, the report found.

Martelly served as Haiti’s president from 2011 to 2016. In 2022, he faced sanctions from Canada over allegations that he financed gangs in Haiti.

A judge in Haiti also previously issued an arrest warrant for the former president in January over allegations relating to government corruption. More than 30 other high-ranking officials in Haiti were also subject to the arrest warrant.

“The existence of widespread gang activity and human rights abuses in Haiti creates a permissive environment for drug trafficking activities, and the country is a transit point for illicit drugs entering the United States,” the U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday. “Many of Haiti’s political and business elites have long been involved in drug trafficking and have been linked to the gangs responsible for the violence that has destabilized Haiti. The United States is committed to promoting accountability and charting a more prosperous, democratic, and secure future for all Haitians.”

According to the Associated Press (AP), State Department official Vedant Patel said on Tuesday that the sanctions are designed to “promote accountability for all individuals whose activities contribute to gang violence and destabilize the political environment in Haiti, regardless of their rank or stature.”

Source: Newsweek