U.S. Sanctions Additional Haitian Politicians for Alleged Drug Trafficking

By Sherrica Thompson

Staff Writer

#USA, December 9, 2022 – As the United States and its partners continue to target those it believes to be involved in gang violence in Haiti, the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Friday, December 2, imposed sanctions on two additional Haitian Senators.

The sanctions are said to target a current Haitian senator Rony Celestin and a former Haitian senator Richard Lenine Hervé Fourcand, for their alleged contribution to the “international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production.”

“Rony Celestin and Richard Fourcand are two more examples of corrupt Haitian politicians abusing their power to further drug trafficking activities across the region,” Treasury official Brian E Nelson said in a statement.

Adding that, “Treasury will continue to hold corrupt officials and malign actors accountable for the illicit drug trafficking that is destabilizing Haiti.”

The U.S. has now sanctioned four members of the Haitian Senate, including the current president of the Senate, Joseph Lambert, and former Senator Youri Latortue, who were both sanctioned last month for their alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking.

While the U.S. and Canada alike have indicated that these Haitian politicians are involved in drug trafficking, no concrete evidence or criminal prosecutions have been brought against any of the mentioned men.

Both Lambert and Latortue rejected the accusations laid against them.  Just days after the U.S. and Canada imposed the sanctions last month, Lambert revealed that he will be challenging the countries’ decision for imposing sanctions against him for his alleged involvement in “significant corruption” and “gross violation of human rights.”

The president of the Senate said he had already given a mandate to an unknown law firm to pursue the matter noting that “law and justice are put to the test.”