Record cocaine seizures in Haitian waters underline country’s ‘critical’ role in smuggling
Haiti is in the grip of a security crisis as gangs battle for control of territory in the capital and beyond while continuing to expand their criminal activities.
Insecurity has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Haitians, contributing to the humanitarian and economic crises the country is grappling with.
There are fears that gangs are increasingly working with international organized crime networks to traffic drugs.
Which drugs were seized and where?
A record 1,045 kilos of cocaine were seized in July 2025 near Haiti’s Île de la Tortue, off the Caribbean country’s northern coast, during a maritime operation by Haitian authorities. It was the largest drug seizure in the country in more than thirty years.
Just two weeks later, 426 kg of cannabis was seized in Petite-Anse, near Cap-Haïtien, again in the north of the country.
There have been other attacks in the wider area. Two Haitian nationals were also arrested in Jamaica in July with more than 1,350 kg of cannabis.
Where are the medications shipped to?
The cocaine seized in July is said to have come from South America and, investigators believe, was intended for distribution across the Caribbean and the US.
Recent evidence has also been received by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) of medicines shipped to Europe. In August 2025, Belgian authorities seized 1,156 kg of cocaine in a container from Haiti in the port of Antwerp.
How are gangs in Haiti involved in this?
The largest gangs have entrenched themselves along strategic corridors in and out of the capital Port-au-Prince, as well as along the border with the neighboring Dominican Republic, which control key transit routes for drugs and other contraband, including weapons.
Control of domestic routes allows gangs not only to extort locals, but also to move drugs with impunity, much of which is destined for export.
Some gangs are reported to extort tolls from boats and engage in armed robbery at sea, exercising a degree of control over trade and smuggling routes.
Armed gang members walk through a Port-au-Prince neighborhood
Intelligence from Jamaica also links the firearm seizures to gun-for-drug trafficking involving Haitian gangs.
Why has Haiti become a drug transshipment point?
Much of the international drug trafficking has centered around Île de la Tortue, which has long been a strategic point for transnational criminal operations, partly due to its significant size and remoteness.
Historically, it has been exploited by pirates and, in recent decades, by organized criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling and other illegal activities.
Its geographic location, which provides direct maritime access to the Bahamas and Jamaica, as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands, makes it suitable as a logistics and storage platform for illicit shipments.
Guns and ammunition are often smuggled into Haiti along the same routes as drugs.
Traffickers have been able to exploit Haiti’s struggles to build a robust legal and criminal justice system that could tackle the expansion of criminal gangs and the illegal activities they engage in.
What is the regional impact?
Haiti is quickly becoming a central hub in a multinational smuggling network. The traffickers involved in the cocaine shipment were Bahamian and Jamaican nationals, underscoring the presence of regional actors working with Haitian counterparts.
The drug seizures, both in Haitian waters and in Europe, indicate sophisticated, coordinated and established trafficking routes that require a robust regional response from law enforcement agencies.
Newly established drug routes also overlap with migrant smuggling operations, increasingly involving Haitian nationals.
Meanwhile, drug trafficking contributes to regional instability, undermines governance, disrupts economies and fuels violence.
Ports, trade routes and tourism sectors in the affected countries are facing increasing security problems and reputational damage.
How is UNODC supporting Haiti’s efforts to combat drug trafficking?
UNODC strengthens border security, strengthens maritime control, promotes intelligence-based policing, and tackles the corruption and financial crime that enable smuggling networks to operate.
The agency’s work begins at the borders, where Haiti remains highly vulnerable to illicit flows.
At the request of Haitian authorities, a nationwide border management initiative has been launched, aimed at increasing interdiction capacity at ports, airports and land borders.
The Haitian Coast Guard is repatriating migrants who have fled the country through established smuggling routes.
At sea, UNODC’s Global Maritime Crime Program aims to strengthen the Haitian Coast Guard, which plays a critical role in securing maritime routes frequently used for narcotics and human trafficking.
On land, UNODC strengthens law enforcement’s ability to conduct intelligence-led operations against organized crime groups involved in migrant smuggling, human trafficking and overlapping criminal activities. The exchange of information between Haiti and regional partners, which is essential for identifying and dismantling cross-border criminal networks, has also intensified.
UNODC recognizes that drug trafficking is enabled by entrenched corruption and the laundering of criminal proceeds and implements government initiatives aimed at strengthening institutional integrity and accountability.
Specialized tribunals are being created to hear cases related to financial crimes, money laundering, gang-related crimes and other sensitive criminal matters, with the aim of reducing impunity and restoring confidence in the justice system.
