3 suspected drug traffickers have been killed in an trade of fireside as police in Haiti confiscated greater than 2,300 kilos of cocaine aboard a ship, officers mentioned Tuesday, in a unprecedented drug seizure within the stricken Caribbean nation.
The police raid came about off the coast of northern Haiti close to Tortue Island the place traffickers are suspected of shifting medication, Port-de-Paix prosecutor Jeir Pierre instructed Radio Caraïbes on Tuesday.
Pierre mentioned police have lengthy postponed any motion at that location on account of a loss of assets, however famous {that a} regional police director not too long ago asked a ship to make use of round Tortue Island.
“We now have had this house in our points of interest for a very long time,” Pierre mentioned.
Police approached a suspected drug trafficking boat on Sunday and ordered the suspects aboard to boost their arms, however they didn’t comply and as a substitute opened fireplace on the officials, Pierre mentioned.
Officials returned fireplace, with two suspected drug traffickers leaping into the sea and later loss of life. A 3rd suspected drug trafficker died on shore whilst a fourth one, from the Bahamas, was once injured and later arrested, Pierre mentioned.
Police mentioned on social media that one among suspects who died was once a person from Jamaica.
Police additionally launched pictures on social media of the seized cocaine. The footage confirmed officials subsequent to stacks of substances, with one of the crucial applications classified “Rolex” at the entrance.
Pierre mentioned no Haitian cops have been injured.
The U.S. govt has up to now famous that tough folks in Haiti are concerned within the nation’s drug industry.
In August 2024, the U.S. Treasury Division sanctioned former Haitian President Michel Martelly, accusing him of abusing his affect to facilitate the trafficking of substances, together with cocaine, destined for the U.S.
“Lots of Haiti’s political and trade elites have lengthy been interested in drug trafficking and feature been connected to the gangs accountable for the violence that has destabilized Haiti,” the Treasury Division mentioned.
Haiti has lengthy served as a transit hub for the motion of cocaine and different illicit medication to the U.S. and Dominican Republic, in line with a document through the U.N. Place of job on Medicine and Crime.
The U.N. administrative center has additionally famous that a few of Haiti’s gangs have larger arsenals than the police as they have got transform “more potent, richer and extra independent.”
