US imposes sanctions on former Haitian president for drug trafficking

The US Treasury Department this week announced sanctions against former Haitian President Michel Joseph Martelly over drug trafficking allegations.

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

Bradley T. Smith, assistant secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the sanctions underscore “the significant and destabilizing role he [Martelly] and other corrupt political elites have played a role in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in Haiti.”

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

In recent months, Haiti has seen widespread violence from gangs attempting to take control of local neighborhoods. Peaceful protesters have reported being tear-gassed by local police after calling on them to respond to gang violence.

In July, the United Nations released a report on Haiti showing that more than 300,000 children have been displaced since May due to gang violence in the country. The gang violence has left children exposed to poor hygiene and disease, and many of them have to build makeshift shelters, the report said.

Martelly was Haiti's president from 2011 to 2016. In 2022, he was sanctioned by Canada over allegations that he financed gangs in Haiti.

A judge in Haiti had already issued an arrest warrant for the former president in January on suspicion of government corruption. More than 30 other high-ranking Haitian officials were also the subject of the arrest warrant.

“Widespread gang activity and human rights abuses in Haiti create an environment conducive to drug trafficking, and the country is a transit point for illicit drugs entering the United States,” the U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday. “Many of Haiti's political and economic elites have long been involved in the drug trade and are associated with the gangs responsible for the violence that has destabilized Haiti. The United States is committed to taking responsibility and shaping a more prosperous, democratic, and secure future for all Haitians.”

According to the Associated Press (AP), U.S. State Department official Vedant Patel said on Tuesday that the sanctions aim to “hold accountable all individuals whose activities contribute to gang violence and destabilize the political environment in Haiti, regardless of their rank or status.”