Haiti remains in the grip of a deepening security crisis as heavily armed gangs continue to battle for control of key areas in the capital and beyond, expanding their criminal operations while worsening the country’s humanitarian and economic challenges. The surge in violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and heightened concerns that Haitian gangs are strengthening ties with international organized crime networks, particularly in the trafficking of drugs.
In July 2025, Haitian authorities conducted a major maritime operation near Île de la Tortue, off the country’s north coast, seizing 1,045 kilograms of cocaine. It was the largest drug bust recorded in Haiti in more than three decades. Two weeks later, authorities confiscated an additional 426 kilograms of cannabis in Petite-Anse near Cap-Haitien.
- Advertisement -
The problem extends beyond Haitian borders. That same month, two Haitian nationals were arrested in Jamaica with more than 1,350 kilograms of cannabis. Investigators believe the cocaine seized in July originated in South America and was intended for distribution across the Caribbean and the United States. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has also reported recent evidence of narcotics being moved to Europe, including a shipment from Haiti intercepted in Antwerp, Belgium, in August containing 1,156 kilograms of cocaine.
Haiti’s most powerful gangs have entrenched themselves along strategic transit corridors in and out of Port-au-Prince and along the border with the Dominican Republic. These routes are essential not only for moving drugs but also for smuggling weapons and other contraband. Their control allows gangs to move narcotics freely within Haiti while extorting residents and travelers. Some groups have also begun charging tolls to maritime vessels and committing armed robberies at sea, giving them influence over regional trafficking lines.
Île de la Tortue, long a staging ground for transnational criminal activity due to its remote location and direct maritime access to the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands, continues to be a central hub for drug storage and movement. The island has historically been used by pirates and, more recently, by human traffickers and drug smuggling networks.
Haiti’s weakened justice and prison systems have struggled to contain the rapid expansion of gang-led criminal enterprises. Evidence from recent seizures suggests the rise of multinational trafficking arrangements, with Bahamian and Jamaican nationals involved in major cocaine shipments alongside Haitian collaborators. The sophisticated logistics behind these operations point to well-established trafficking routes that require coordinated regional action.
New drug routes also appear to be intersecting with migrant smuggling channels, with increasing numbers of Haitians involved in the movement of migrants across the region. Analysts warn that the expanding drug trade is contributing to regional instability, undermining governance, damaging economies and threatening tourism and legitimate trade. Ports, shipping corridors and airports across the Caribbean face heightened security concerns as a result.
In response to these growing threats, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is working with Haitian authorities to reinforce border security, strengthen maritime patrols and expand intelligence-led policing. A nationwide border management initiative has been launched at Haiti’s request to boost interdiction efforts at ports, airports and land crossings.
At sea, the agency’s Global Maritime Crime Program is enhancing the capabilities of the Haitian Coast Guard, which plays a crucial role in intercepting narcotics and human trafficking operations. On land, the UN is supporting intelligence-driven investigations targeting gangs involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling and related crimes. Regional information sharing has increased to help identify and dismantle cross-border criminal networks.
Recognizing that drug trafficking relies on entrenched corruption and illicit financial flows, the UN is also helping Haiti strengthen institutional integrity. New specialized tribunals are being established to handle cases involving money laundering, financial crimes and gang-related activity. These measures aim to reduce impunity, reestablish public trust and build a justice system that can effectively confront organized crime in one of the region’s most vulnerable nations.
