Overview:
PNH different specialized units Haitian seized 1.05 tonnes of cocaine during a July 13 raid on Tortuga Island, marking the largest drug seizure in the National Police’s 30-year history. The operation, involving PNH, Coast Guard, and UDMO agents, also resulted in one death and one injury. Experts say Tortuga’s proximity to other Caribbean nations makes it a transit point for traffickers.
PORT-DE-PAIX— Haiti National Police seized a record 1,045 kilograms (1.05 tonnes) of cocaine on Ile de La Tortue on July 13, marking what authorities call the largest drug bust in the force’s 30-year history.
The operation was led by multiple units of the Haitian National Police (PNH), including BLTS (Anti-Narcotics Brigade), UDMO, and Coast Guard agents. It resulted in the death of Anthony Jimmy, a Jamaican national, and left a Bahamian man injured.
“This is the first time such a large quantity of drugs has been seized by the PNH,” said Police Commissioner and PNH spokesperson Michel-Ange Louis-Jeune.
PNH spokesperson said they seized 49 bags containing a total of 959 packets of cocaine in the Haut-Figué area of Ile De La Tortue, about 9 miles north of Port-de-Paix.
On July 14, at a press conference, Northwest region PNH spokesperson Lafortune Toussaint provided more details on how the raid was executed. He said the different police force units acted on intelligence that a group of traffickers was using the island as a key drop-off point. Acting on this information, PNH Director General Rameau Normil authorized the operation, which was led by Clevens Cétoute, the Northwest PNH departmental director.
During the interception, police units spotted three boats at sea and ordered them to stop and identify themselves. When the occupants refused to comply and opened fire on the officers, police returned fire. In the exchange, two suspects jumped into the water and escaped, while a Jamaican national was killed and a Bahamian man was injured.
“This is the first time such a large quantity of drugs has been seized by the PNH in its 30 years of existence.”
Michel-Ange Louis-Jeune, PNH spokesperson
Toussaint declined to provide details about where the cocaine originated or its intended destination. He also said he was unable to estimate the value of the seized drugs.
International cocaine prices typically range between $28,000 (U.S.) and $70,000 per kilogram on the retail market, according to figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. At those rates, the 1.05-tonne haul could be worth as much as $29 million.
Ile De La Tortue’s location in northwest Haiti makes it an attractive point for maritime trafficking. The island’s proximity to Cuba (about 50 miles), Jamaica (120 miles), and Turks and Caicos (190 miles) creates easy access routes for smugglers moving drugs through the Caribbean.
Despite a population of nearly 50,000, Tortuga has only three police officers stationed on the island, leaving residents feeling exposed to drug-related violence, Max William Etienne, the island principal mayor.
“With so few officers, the safety of citizens is not fully guaranteed,” said Etienne, the island’s mayor. “The PNH Central Directorate must urgently consider increasing security.”
Local officials said they were absent during the raid. Mayor Etienne told The Haitian Times that police did not inform him of any planned drug bust, and no justice of the peace was present to certify the seizure.
Both Etienne and Justice of the Peace Luckner Dydy were aboard a sailboat en route to Tortuga when the operation took place.
A legal expert, who requested anonymity because of the case’s sensitivity, echoed some concerns that carrying out such a significant seizure without judicial oversight could raise questions about due process and open the door to legal challenges.
For residents of the island, action on illegal drug smuggling is past due.
“This island is already under threat from drug dealers,” said Quesnet Lubin, a 47-year-old resident. “We’re asking the government to act before it’s too late.”
This is not the first major drug seizure in northwest Haiti. Less than two months ago, PNH officers arrested eight people in Saint-Louis-du-Nord for alleged trafficking, underscoring the region’s role as a corridor for smuggling operations.