The United States Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on former Haitian president Michel Martelly, accusing him of involvement in drug trafficking activities, including the smuggling of cocaine destined for the United States.
Martelly, who served as Haiti’s president from 2011 to 2016, was said to have “abused his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States,” according to a statement released by the Treasury. The department also accused him of “laundering illicit drug proceeds,” working closely with local drug traffickers, and sponsoring multiple gangs based in Haiti.
This action follows similar sanctions imposed by the Canadian government in 2022 against Martelly and two former Haitian prime ministers, accusing them of benefiting from the activities of armed gangs. The situation in Haiti, already dire due to widespread gang violence, worsened significantly in February when armed groups forced the resignation of then-prime minister Ariel Henry.
Criminal organizations currently control about 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, with residents facing daily threats of murder, rape, and kidnapping for ransom. In response to the escalating violence, hundreds of Kenyan police officers have been deployed to Haiti as part of an international effort to stabilize the country, which has been engulfed in political, social, and economic chaos.
“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 undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
Vedant Patel, the deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, reiterated the US government’s commitment to holding those responsible for the crisis accountable. “It is unacceptable for Haitian political and economic elites to plunder Haiti’s future,” Patel said in a statement. He added that the sanctions against Martelly demonstrate 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.”
