24635: Lemieux (pub) News Daily:The Haitian Drug Haven

[sak-pase@bimini.ws]

JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>


Saturday, April 02, 2005 

The Haitian Drug Haven 
Weak and Corrupt Police Help Traffickers Exploit
Haiti
by Jim Kouri, CPP

Haiti is one of the Caribbean’s three most
significant transshipment countries, along with
Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, for cocaine
smuggled from South America and destined to the
United States. Drug traffickers exploit Haiti as
a transshipment and storage site for large
quantities of cocaine destined to the United
States and other international markets.
Significant amounts of heroin and marijuana also
are smuggled through Haiti. Haiti attracts drug
traffickers due to its strategic geographic
position between South America and the United
States; its lengthy coastlines and uncontrolled
borders; and the lack of law enforcement
resources.

The primary method for smuggling cocaine into
Haiti is via maritime vessels. Go-fast boats from
Colombia remain the most common maritime
trafficking method—usually transiting Colombia’s
Guajira Peninsula to arrival locations along the
poorly guarded southern coast of Haiti.
Traffickers also routinely transport cocaine from
Colombia to Haiti by single- or twin-engine
aircraft to clandestine landing strips, or
airdrop cocaine loads to waiting land vehicles or
maritime vessels. Other common conveyances for
smuggling cocaine into Haiti include bulk cargo
freighters, containerized cargo vessels, fishing
vessels, and couriers on commercial aircraft.

After cocaine enters Haiti, it is usually stored
until it can be shipped to the United States or
other international markets. Cocaine often is
smuggled out of Haiti in containerized cargo or
on bulk cargo freighters directly to Miami. The
cocaine shipments aboard cargo freighters are
occasionally offloaded to smaller vessels prior
to arrival in the United States. Cocaine also is
sometimes transferred overland from Haiti to the
Dominican Republic for further transshipment to
Puerto Rico, the continental United States,
Europe, and Canada.Marijuana destined for Haiti
usually is transported from Jamaica via go-fast
boats and other maritime vessels. 

Anecdotal reporting indicates some small-scale
marijuana production in Haiti, primarily for
local consumption.Haiti’s lack of implemented
currency regulations and money laundering laws
continue to facilitate money laundering. Most of
the detected money laundering involves
transporting cash via courier, from the United
States through Haiti to Panama. However, some
money laundering likely takes place in Haiti’s
poorly regulated banks and currency
exchanges.Haitian financial institutions are
required to report to the Government of Haiti
currency transactions at or above 20,000 gourdes
(approximately US$10,000). Haiti does not
currently possess any asset seizure or forfeiture
laws. 

The Haitian legal code does not allow for
conspiracy in drug cases. A suspect must be
arrested in possession of drugs in order to be
prosecuted for drug-related offenses.Currently,
chemical diversion activities in Haiti are
negligible. The country has no essential chemical
control law. 

In Haiti, cocaine and marijuana are readily
available, but are not widely consumed due mainly
to poor economic conditions. Wholesale amounts of
cocaine sell among traffickers from US$6,000 to
US$7,500 per kilogram. Crack cocaine sells on the
street for about US$5 per rock. The Government of
Haiti does not finance any demand reduction
programs. 

The Association for Alcohol Prevention and
Chemical Dependency, a private, nongovernmental
institution, remains the only established
organization with treatment programs for
substance abuse in Haiti.The Bureau of the War
against Drug Trafficking (Bureau de la Lutte
Contre le Trafic des Stupefiants, or BLTS) is the
Haitian National Police counterdrug unit. The
Haitian Coast Guard and Haitian Customs Bureau
also have drug law enforcement
responsibilities.Haiti has signed the 1961 U.N.
Single Convention and its 1972 Protocol; the 1988
U.N. Drug Convention; and the Inter-American
Convention against Corruption. However, Haiti has
not signed the 1971 U.N. Convention on
Psychotropic Substances. 

A 1904 bilateral extradition treaty between the
Governments of the United States and Haiti
remains in force; however, the 1987 Haitian
Constitution prohibits the extradition of Haitian
nationals. Haiti has expelled third-country
nationals to the United States on occasion. Haiti
honors the terms of a 1997 maritime and
overflight agreement with the United States. 

Sources: US Drug Enforcement Administration,
United Nations, National Security Institute

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president
of the National Association of Chiefs of Police.
He's former chief at a New York City housing
project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack
City" by reporters covering the drug war in the
1980s. In addition, he served as director of
public safety at a New Jersey university. He's
also served on the National Drug Task Force and
trained police and security officers throughout
the country. He writes for many police and crime
magazines including Chief of Police, Police
Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement
Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air
commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and
talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report,
CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book
Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com,
Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local
bookstores.