Overview:
Dominican authorities handed over ex-Arcahaie mayor Rosemila Sainvil Petit-Frère to face corruption and money laundering charges in Haiti, a rare high-profile transfer between the two countries.
OUANAMINTHE, Haiti — Dominican authorities on Wednesday escorted former Arcahaie mayor and outspoken Jovenel Moïse critic Rosemila Sainvil Petit-Frère to Haitian police at the Ouanaminthe–Dajabón border to face charges of financial crimes and gang ties.
Petit-Frère was arrested on Aug. 10 at Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata after arriving from Canada while attempting to cross into Haiti. Dominican customs and immigration officers seized several checks for large, undisclosed amounts from her, but no cash, according to the local newspaper Listín Diario. Authorities suspected her of trying to transport a large sum of money across the border illegally.
Escorted by border police (Polifront) agents, Petit-Frère was handed over to Haitian law enforcement under an arrest warrant. She was taken to Port-au-Prince for questioning by the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ).
A businesswoman and political figure, Petit-Frère served as Arcahaie’s mayor from 2016 to 2020, led the National Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti (FENAFEMH, its French acronym) and owns Radio Télé Monopole (RTM) in Port-au-Prince. She is an influential member of former President René Préval’s INITE Patriotique party and was a close ally of ex–Prime Minister Ariel Henry after Moïse’s assassination.
She is under investigation by Haiti’s Central Financial Intelligence Unit (UCREF) for money laundering and corruption tied to her public office, including alleged misuse of funds from the Caisse d’Assistance Sociale (CAS). A UCREF’s 2024 report claims she amassed significant real estate and financial assets during her tenure. The case had stalled after she missed DCPJ summonses, citing travel for health reasons.
Pierre Espérance, head of the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH), has also alleged Petit-Frère maintained ties with notorious leader Kempès Sanon of the Belair-Air gang—an affiliate of Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier’s Viv Ansanm coalition.
A rare high-profile handover
The ex-Haitian mayor’s case stands out in the context of Haiti–Dominican Republic relations. For years, Haitian officials and human rights groups have accused the Dominican Republic of serving as a safe haven for powerful Haitian politicians and businesspeople facing criminal charges, even as it mass-deports thousands of ordinary Haitians each year, many of them laborers or market vendors seeking better livelihoods.
“We did not find anything from her; we only received Romila and handed her over to the competent authorities, who escorted her to Port-au-Prince.”
“We did not find anything from her; we only received Romilia and handed her over to the competent authorities, who escorted her to Port-au-Prince.”
In this instance, Dominican authorities stressed cooperation with Haitian counterparts, saying her rights and personal integrity were respected throughout the process.
During the handover, The Haitian Times saw Dominican border agents cordially turning a hand-free Petit-Frère over to Haitian police in the northeast, who then accompanied her to the DCPJ’s officers waiting nearby.
The case highlights a persistent tension in Haiti–Dominican Republic relations: the selective treatment of cross-border migration and law enforcement.
While Dominican authorities carry out mass deportations of Haitians and, in many cases, ordinary Dominicans of Haitian descent—sometimes thousands in a single week—they have often been criticized for allowing high-profile Haitian political figures, businessmen and alleged criminals to stay in the country with little interference.
Over the past decade, several Haitian officials facing charges at home have surfaced in the Dominican Republic, including former senators, ex-ministers and police chiefs. In many cases, they avoided extradition altogether, citing residency status, business investments or political asylum claims. Critics say this undermines anti-corruption efforts and emboldens elites to evade Haitian justice.
Analysts say this case may reflect either shifting political calculations in Santo Domingo, increased bilateral cooperation on security or a decision to offload a politically sensitive figure onto Haitian authorities.
For Haiti, the handover could serve as a test case for whether its justice system can pursue high-level corruption charges without political interference — a challenge that has derailed many such cases in the past.
Public reaction in Ouanaminthe was mixed. Some residents welcomed her arrest as a step toward accountability.
“We arrested her because of the people’s money she stole to live well in the Dominican Republic,” said border resident Judenel Saint Claire, sitting on the border between Ouanaminthe and Dajabón.
John Ronald Prophète also expressed his frustration toward the former mayor, accusing her of having “contributed to the collapse of the country.”
“I am happy she has been arrested,” Prophète said.
Others doubted her arrest would change the entrenched pattern of impunity for political elites. Haitian judicial authorities have not announced when formal proceedings will begin.