Police in Haiti have arrested a former Haitian lawmaker, Prophane Victor, for allegedly arming gangs.
Why it Matters
Gang violence in Haiti first began to spiral out of control after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 by a group of foreign mercenaries, and paramilitaries are now estimated to control nearly 85 percent of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. In addition, over 4,500 people have been reported killed and another 2,060 have been reported injured in Haiti in 2024, according to the United Nations.
Gang violence has also displaced about 700,000 people in recent years. In early December, about 42,000 people in Haiti were left homeless, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Of those roughly 42,000 people, half were children, UNICEF says.
Meanwhile, about six million people in Haiti, including 3.3 million children, will need humanitarian aid in 2025, according to UNICEF. There are roughly 11.6 million people in Haiti.
What To Know
Victor, once a member of Parliament representing the Petite Riviere community in the Artibonite region, was arrested Sunday in Port-au-Prince, according to the Haitian National Police.
This arrest marks a significant step for Haitian authorities in a nation where allegations of gang ties and violence against high-ranking officials often lead to little or no accountability.
According to Haitian police, Victor's name has long been associated with collusion with gang members in Artibonite, particularly in Savien, a claim bolstered by a former gang leader's repeated accusations.
A United Nations report from last year detailed how Victor allegedly began arming young men in Petite Riviere to secure his 2016 election. These individuals eventually formed Gran Grif, a gang that has become the largest in Artibonite.
Gran Grif has been implicated in numerous acts of violence, including a massacre in October that claimed dozens of lives in Pont-Sonde, Artibonite. This event was among the deadliest in Haiti's recent history, further amplifying the region's crisis.
However, the report noted a fallout between Victor and Gran Grif in 2020 over "unfulfilled campaign promises." Since then, officials have accused Victor of supporting rival gangs.
Sanctions
The former lawmaker's international reputation is equally marred. Both Canada and the United States have sanctioned Victor—Canada in June 2023 and the U.S. in September 2024—over allegations of supporting gangs accused of egregious human rights abuses.
Kenyan-Led Mission
In response to the ongoing gang violence, Kenyan officers, joined by Haitian police, have continued to fight against the gangs in Haiti, despite being relentlessly attacked.
Kenya has deployed roughly 400 officers for the mission since June, though roughly 2,500 personnel from some 10 countries were originally planned to be part of the contingent.
What People Are Saying
William O'Neill, U.N. expert on human rights in Haiti, said in September after a recent trip to the Caribbean country that he "saw that areas previously not impacted by gang violence are now directly impacted."
He also said the Kenya-led mission doesn't have the resources to fight against the growing gang violence.
"The equipment it has received is inadequate, and its resources are insufficient," he said.
Brian A. Nichols, U.S. assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs, told reporters on September 4: "A [peacekeeping operation] is one of the ways we could accomplish that [to secure funding and staffing for the security mission]. But we are looking at multiple ways."
Godfrey Otunge, commander of the Kenya-led mission, told The Associated Press in December: The days are numbered for the gangs. Either you surrender...or we are coming for you."
What Happens Next
Although it wasn't immediately clear if Victor had an attorney, his arrest is expected to be closely monitored as it may signal a shift in Haiti's struggle to hold powerful figures accountable amidst widespread violence.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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