US Treasury slaps sanctions on former Haitian President Martelly for drug trafficking

Aug. 20, 2024, 3:54 p.m.

Read time estimation: 2 minutes.

  1

The US Treasury Department announced sanctions against former Haitian president Michel Martelly on Tuesday for his involvement in drug trafficking, specifically cocaine, destined for the United States.

The actions undertaken by Washington mirror similar measures implemented by the Canadian government in 2022, which imposed sanctions against Martelly and two former prime ministers, accusing them of profiting from armed gangs.

Martelly, a former musician who served as president of the Caribbean nation between 2011 and 2016, “abused his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States,” the US Treasury said in a statement.

He was also involved in “laundering of illicit drug proceeds,” working with local drug traffickers and sponsoring multiple Haiti-based gangs, the statement added.

Advertisement Haiti, the nation with the lowest standard of living in the Americas, has long grappled with gang violence, but the situation dramatically deteriorated in February when armed groups forced the resignation of the then-prime minister, Ariel Henry.

Criminal organizations control approximately 80 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, with residents reporting they have faced threats of murder, rape, and kidnapping for ransom.

Hundreds of Kenyan police officers have been deployed to Haiti, part of a multinational effort to restore stability to the country plagued by political, social, and economic turmoil.

“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 Smith, the Treasury’s acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

“It is unacceptable for Haitian political and economic elites to plunder Haiti’s future,” US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement.

He added that the action taken Tuesday demonstrates the US’s “unwavering resolve 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.”