Top Haitian Security Official Kidnapped in Capital

Overview

• James Boyard, who serves as cabinet director for the Defense Ministry and inspector general of the national police, was seized in Port-au-Prince, local reporting and sources say.
• It is the highest-ranking abduction reported in recent years and authorities have not confirmed who carried out the capture or whether a ransom was sought.
• An estimated 70% of the capital is under the control of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, which the U.S. designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year.
• Analysts say gangs are expanding into neighborhoods once seen as safe and are using tactics such as posing as police to carry out staged stops and kidnappings.
• Some victims are being moved to gang-held areas like Village de Dieu, an escalation that could further hinder police operations and slow efforts to rebuild Haiti’s security institutions.