Ex-Haitian President Martelly Faces Harsh US Sanctions Following Grim Drug Trafficking Charges. (Photo/
EPICSTORIAN – The United States has imposed a severe sanctions on former Haitian President Michel Martelly over his alleged involvement in drug trafficking, rebel-rousing social and political unrest in the country.
The move comes in response to deeply troubling allegations linking Martelly to a significant drug trafficking operation, “sponsoring multiple Haiti-based gangs, laundering illicit drug proceeds,”and having associates of deadly Haitian drug traffickers.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and financial Intelligence, Bradley Smith, announced the sanctions on August 20, 2024, citing “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.”
US State Department spokesperson, Vedant Patel, also was quoted by CNN as saying the sanctions “demonstrate the United States’ 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.”
These sanctions may “freeze any assets the former Haitian president may hold in the US and prohibit American entities from engaging in business with him”.
Does Martelly have a past criminal record?
His “credible evidence” of involvement in a sophisticated drug smuggling network is linked to his past record of alleged dealings with international criminal groups.
Martelly, who served as Haitian president from 2011 to 2016, was previously sanctioned by Canada on November 17, 2022, on suspicion of protecting or supporting the activities of criminal gangs, according to report.
