US embassy cable - 05PORTAUPRINCE1665

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001665 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CAR 
INL/LP PASS TO ABAGAIL SMITH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2015 
TAGS: EFIN, PREL, SNAR, HA 
SUBJECT: HAITI: CERTIFICATION REPORT CARD, 2005 
 
REF: STATE 94578 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James B. Foley for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) Following is the narcotics certification report card 
2005 for Haiti, requested reftel. 
 
2. (U) The Interim Government of Haiti (IGOH) worked closely 
with the United States Government (USG) throughout 2004 to 
help bolster Haiti's ability to combat narco-trafficking. 
The highest levels of the IGOH cooperated closely with the 
USG to stem corruption, arrest drug traffickers, seize 
assets, better utilize the Haitian National Police (HNP), and 
create a drug strategy.  However, the IGOH's top-down 
anti-drug and anti-corruption push has been stymied by the 
corruption and incompetence that pervades Haiti's government 
offices, parastatals and police force.  Haiti's dysfunctional 
judicial system also helped frustrate IGOH efforts to crack 
down on corruption and drugs.  Though the Haitian 
constitution mandates that criminals be charged within 48 
hours of their arrest, only a handful of prisoners in Haiti's 
prison population of over 1,200 have actually been charged 
with a crime. 
 
 
Anti-Corruption 
 
3. (C) At USG urging, the IGOH has taken some important steps 
to curb corruption in Haiti, however not all of its measures 
have been effective.  HNP Director General, Leon Charles, 
charged 200 officers with corruption and fired them.  In 
addition, Charles formed a Rapid Response Unit (RRU) to 
conduct drug investigations and carry out arrests, bypassing 
some elements of the historically corrupt anti-narcotics 
unit, the BLTS (Bureau de la Lutte contre le Traffic de 
Stupifiants).  However, the RRU has proved corrupt as well; 
the DEA reports that the RRU accepted a bribe of roughly USD 
40,000 to release Frantz Michel Jeanty after DEA agents 
arrested him in Cap Haitien.  Finally, the IGOH has created 
an Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) in the Ministry of Finance to 
investigate and eliminate government corruption, however it 
has been poorly managed and has not yet produced significant 
results. 
 
Fraud Investigation Unit 
 
4. (U) The Haitian Fraud Investigation Unit (FIU) has worked 
with the USG through the DEA and the Narcotic Affairs Section 
(NAS) of the Embassy to investigate fraud and drug 
trafficking, particularly that associated with former 
President Aristide's administration.  Both DEA and NAS have 
had mixed results working with the FIU.  Although the FIU has 
been instrumental in seizing drug assets, the former FIU 
director, who resigned in early June, was obstructionist. 
NAS reports that he forbade any investigation in his absence, 
stopped going to work and moved all of the FIU's most 
important files into his locked office, which effectively 
halted all investigative work and prevented the FIU from 
making any indictments. 
 
Arrests and Removals 
 
5. (C) The USG urged the IGOH to move with greater alacrity 
to arrest and remove drug traffickers.  The IGOH has 
arrested, and in some cases removed a number of important 
Haitian drug traffickers.  Arrested and/or removed drug 
traffickers in 2004 and early 2005 include: 
 
-- Evintz Brillant 
-- Jean Vielot 
-- Fourel Celestin 
-- Jean Salim Batrony 
-- Oriel Jean 
-- Romaine Lestin 
-- Charles Maxime Lafontan 
-- Stephanie Ambroise 
-- Carlos Ovalle 
-- Eddie Aurillien 
-- Serg Edouard 
-- Kenlene Thomas 
-- Jean Nesly Lucien 
 
The IGOH continues to work closely with the USG to build on 
its recent successes. 
 
Asset Seizure 
 
6. (U) The USG pushed the IGOH to seize more money and 
resources from drug traffickers.  In the past year, the IGOH 
has seized over USD 2.9 million dollars and 20 vehicles owned 
by drug traffickers.  The FIU has been instrumental in 
exchanging information with the DEA, which has resulted in 
several high-profile seizures.  According to the FIU, the 
IGOH has seized the following assets: 
 
   Name                       GDS         USD 
-- Edgar Napoleon                         283,961.00 
-- Frantz Michel Jeanty       289,729.00  7,216.00 
-- Marc Gregory Legagneur     6,700.00    4,554.00 
   and UNIPAR S.A. 
   and Dossier Ronald Georges 
-- Arnoux Levaud              9,200.00    801,300.00 
-- Raymond Panthol            250.00      19,626.00 
   and Jospeh Lutesse Noel 
-- Carl Henry Julesseus                   97,975.00 
-- Harold Jean                            9,879.00 
-- Guito Gourdet                          25,584.00 
 
The Haitian National Police 
 
7. (U) The USG has asked for greater HNP cooperation and 
assistance pursuing drug traffickers and their assets.  The 
HNP has responded by assisting the DEA with its SWAT team and 
RRU as well as improving DEA access to search warrants. 
Currently, the IGOH is working to set up a Tactical Response 
Team as a replacement to the corrupt RRU, which replaced some 
elements of the corrupt BLTS. 
 
Drug Strategy 
 
8. (C) The USG has asked the IGOH for assistance intercepting 
drug shipments, particularly incoming shipments from South 
America, which reach the southern coast of Haiti by air and 
sea.  The IGOH is developing a ten person Special 
Investigative Unit that will work throughout Haiti.  The USG 
is working with the IGOH and the Government of the Dominican 
Republic to base three helicopters and 30 BLTS agents in 
Barahona, Dominican Republic to work with their Dominican 
counterparts interdicting drug shipments headed to both the 
Dominican Republic and Haiti from South America.  The IGOH 
has cooperated willingly and is working to secure permission 
for Haitian agents to accompany the air interdictions.  In 
addition, the IGOH plans to reinforce its anti-drug unit 
(BLTS) with 90-100 new officers stationed in Cap Haitien 
(30-35) Les Cayes (30-35) and Jacmel (30-35).  Finally, the 
IGOH is cooperating with the USG to station four DEA agents 
in Cap Haitien to investigate and intercept drug shipments 
leaving the northern coast of Haiti for the U.S. and 
Caribbean distribution points. 
FOLEY