Former Haiti President Martelly Sanctioned by US Over Drug Trafficking Allegations – The Frontier Post

WASHINGTON (AFP): The US Treasury Department on Tuesday announced sanctions against former Haitian President Michel Martelly over the trafficking of drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States.

Washington’s moves echo similar measures taken by the Canadian government, which in 2022 imposed sanctions on Martelly and two former prime ministers accused of profiting from armed gangs.

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

He was also involved in “laundering proceeds from illegal drugs,” working with local drug traffickers and sponsoring several gangs in Haiti, the statement said.

Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has long struggled with gang violence. In February, however, conditions worsened significantly when armed groups forced then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.

Criminal gangs control about 80 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince, and residents say they have faced threats of murder, rape and kidnapping for ransom.

Hundreds of police officers from Kenya have been deployed to Haiti as part of an international effort to bring stability to the country struggling with political, social and economic chaos.

“Today’s action against Martelly underscores 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.

“It is unacceptable that Haiti’s political and economic elites are plundering Haiti’s future,” U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement.

He added that the action taken Tuesday demonstrates the United States’ “unwavering determination to hold accountable all individuals whose activities contribute to gang violence and destabilize the political environment in Haiti, regardless of rank or status.”