US sanctions former Haiti president over drug trafficking charges News
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US sanctions former Haiti president over drug trafficking charges

The United States Treasury Department announced Tuesday that it has sanctioned Michel Joseph Martelly, the former president of Haiti, on drug trafficking charges.

The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control had imposed these sanctions under Executive Order 14059, which targets individuals involved in the global illicit drug trade. These sanctions freeze assets Martelly may hold in the US and generally prohibit American entities from conducting business with him. US financial institutions are also barred from making loans or providing credit to Martelly, among other restrictions. The move mirrors similar actions taken by the Canadian government on November 20, 2022, which also sanctioned Martelly and other former Haitian elites for allegedly protecting and enabling the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs.

Martelly served as Haiti’s president from 2011 to 2016, taking office after the devastating 2010 earthquake. He has been accused of using his political influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs to the US. He has additionally been alleged to have laundered proceeds from drug trafficking and collaborated with Haitian drug traffickers while also sponsoring multiple gangs in Haiti. He is currently a US resident residing in Miami. However, his residency status currently remains unknown, with both the US State Department unable to comment on his immigration status and his lawyer declining to comment on the case.

Bradley T. Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, emphasised his lack of political accountability, stating:

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. 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.

Haiti, one of the poorest countries in Latin America and the Caribbean region, has the highest criminality and corruption rate in the Caribbean according to its Organised Crime Index and Corruption Perceptions Index. The country has long struggled with severe gang violence and, over time, has become a critical transit point for illegal drugs destined for the United States. The Biden administration deported over 70 Haitians back to their homeland in April amid the nation’s ongoing struggle with gang violence. 

The US Treasury Department’s sanction serves as part of a broader effort to address the drug trade and political instability that have exacerbated Haiti’s long-standing political, security, and humanitarian crises.

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