MANHATTAN, New York—THE United States Treasury Department has continued its crackdown on former high-ranking political figures in Haiti linked to ongoing gang violence, which has severely impacted the country's economic stability.
On Wednesday (Sept. 25), the US government announced sanctions against two individuals—a former politician and a gang leader. Former Haitian Parliamentarian Prophane Victor was sanctioned for his role in "forming, supporting, and arming gangs and their members." Additionally, Luckson Elan, the current leader of the Gran Grif gang, was sanctioned for what is being described as "human rights abuses related to activities in Haiti’s Artibonite department."
In recent years, particularly over the last year, violence in the French-speaking territory has escalated, with gangs taking control of parts of the capital, Port-Au-Prince, and forcing out the former prime minister. After a period of unrest and intense negotiations, with support from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United States, an interim government was installed to guide the country towards stability ahead of a general election.
In a statement, the Treasury Department noted that both individuals were named in a final United Nations report, which identified them as key contributors to the crisis. Victor is accused of masterminding the arming of young men in the Pitte Rivere area to secure his election victory in 2016. According to the Treasury Department, these young men went on to form the Gran Grif gang, which has since become the largest criminal organization in the Artibonite department. He is also alleged to have committed human rights violations, including sexual abuse.
Victor is further accused of providing material support to the gang until 2020, trafficking weapons that ended up in the hands of gang members, and funding their operations. Meanwhile, Elan is described as the head of the Gran Grif gang and is held responsible for kidnapping, rape, extortion, and murder, along with other human rights violations.
With the sanctions now in place, all properties belonging to the designated individuals within the United States are blocked.
The recent sanctions follow those imposed in August on former Prime Minister Michel Martelly, who was accused of leveraging his influence to facilitate drug trafficking into the United States.
