Overview:
In an exclusive interview with the Haitian Times, Haitian police in Ouanaminthe said three recent arrests have uncovered a trafficking network moving young girls across the Haiti-Dominican Republic border. Victims describe being lured by false promises of jobs and shelter, while police warn that many minors remain missing. The case highlights deep poverty, systemic failures and the limited resources of law enforcement struggling to contain the growing crisis.
OUANAMINTHE, Haiti — Haitian police in Ouanaminthe, investigating a string of child disappearances along the Haiti-Dominican Republic border, said in a recent interview with The Haitian Times that they have dismantled part of a trafficking network following three arrests between February and May. But authorities warn that several young girls remain missing, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
On May 7, in one of the most alarming cases, officers with the Ouanaminthe Brigade for the Protection of Minors arrested Wilner Honoré, a smuggler in his 30s from Limonade—a northern city— as he attempted to cross the border with a 13-year-old girl, Louidjina Vincent. Investigators said Honoré was moving several minors to the Dominican Republic through unofficial crossings.
“Honoré was taking several other young girls to Santo Domingo. Louidjina is the only one we have found so far,” Inspector Wilner Désir, who is leading the investigation, said. “He gave some of them to other people to cross the border, but unfortunately, the others who crossed at Ferrier [another border town] are still missing,” Désir confirmed.
Earlier in the year, police detained two women accused of luring minors with false promises of jobs and security. On Feb. 12, officers arrested Gaël Charles, 24, in Ouanaminthe. On March 13, they arrested Bedesaïda “Dada” Joseph, also 24, from Jérémie but living in Dajabón, Dominican Republic. Both were accused of enticing minors across the border.
“Wilner Honoré was taking several other young girls to Santo Domingo. He gave some of them to other people to cross the border, but unfortunately, Louidjina is the only one we have found so far.”
Inspector Wilner Désir
“These arrests confirm the existence of a wider trafficking network exploiting desperate families and vulnerable girls,” Désir said.
Victims and exploitation amid legal challenges and family deals
The arrests highlight how traffickers prey on poverty and fractured families in northern Haiti. Louidjina’s mother, Martha Vincent, told investigators that Honoré manipulated her daughter into leaving. “It was Wilner who influenced my daughter,” she said.
Honoré denied the accusation, claiming the mother had expelled the girl from her home. “It was Louidjina who asked me to accompany her to Santo Domingo because her mother threw her out,” he told investigators.
Désir said two main factors drive the abductions of young girls from northern Haiti: the severe economic hardship and pressure from their parents, who see migration as their only option.
That was the case with 13-year-old Vincent, who was rescued by authorities after accused smuggler Honoré tried to cross the border with her.
Many children from the Northern Department and surrounding areas continue to leave their parents’ homes in search of opportunities in the Dominican Republic, taking a chance. Complex living conditions, mixed with profound inequalities, encourage these young girls to believe the promises of the solicitors.
Eighteen-year-old Katiana Joseph, another survivor, recalled being deceived by a man she met at the Dajabón market.
“He promised to give me a place to live and a business, that’s why I agreed to go without my parents knowing,” she said. Instead, what was supposed to be a step toward a better life quickly turned into a nightmare.
She narrowly escaped an attempted sexual assault. “It was thanks to passersby that I was able to escape from the man who was trying to rape me in the bushes.”
Haitian authorities said many girls who make it across the border end up in forced prostitution to survive.
As for Honoré, he was handed over to Haiti’s Institute of Social Welfare and Research (IBESR) and remains in detention at Fort-Liberté civil prison. Joseph is also being held there pending a judicial review. Charles, however, was quietly released after relatives of her victim reached a private arrangement, reportedly linked to her romantic relationship with the victim’s cousin. Observers say the deal underscores how informal family negotiations often derail justice in Haiti.
Under Haiti’s 1985 penal code, crimes against children, such as sexual exploitation, prostitution, trafficking and abduction, carry heavy fines and prison terms of 10 years or more. However, inconsistent enforcement and systemic corruption often mean that many cases collapse before trial.
Disappearances in Ouanaminthe spark organ trafficking fears as officials offer few answers
Article 294 prescribes reclusion, meaning long-term imprisonment, for anyone convicted of kidnapping, concealing or suppressing a child. Articles 300 through 303 increase penalties for abducting minors. Article 300 mandates reclusion sentences of 10 years or more for abducting a child through fraud or violence, while Article 301 raises the punishment to forced labor for a term of 10 years when the victim is a girl under 15.
Recent disappearances of young children, including several girls, at the end of 2024 and earlier this year, have shaken the country’s border town with the Dominican Republic. Previous investigations by The Haitian Times found that children and teenagers have gone missing in Ouanaminthe, fueling fear and suspicion. The disappearances have increased worries about abduction networks, with some residents fearing links to organ trafficking. IBESR started an investigation in February and has not yet made its findings public.
Police stretched thin
Despite recent progress, authorities acknowledge severe limits in their ability to combat trafficking. The Ouanaminthe Brigade for the Protection of Minors has only one aging patrol car and few resources to manage an escalating crisis.
“He promised to give me a place to stay and a job once we arrived, that’s why I agreed to leave without my parents knowing.”
Katiana Joseph, trafficking survivor
Many observers argue that the recent events, which highlight the struggles of young girls like Louidjina, Katiana and others, show the need for strong collaboration between the involved countries, dedication from Haiti’s authorities and increased awareness among families. The vision of a better future for these girls must become real, so that none of them is forced to risk their lives for a wishful promise.
“Combating child trafficking is an extremely difficult challenge,” Désir said. “It’s not enough to report on the problem. We must give a voice to the victims and families, and we need real collaboration, better equipment, and stronger cross-border cooperation.”
He warned that without urgent action, traffickers will keep exploiting vulnerable children. “With better collaboration and improved equipment, the team I lead will be able to put an end to child trafficking at the Ouanaminthe border,” Désir reassured.