HAITI: CERTIFICATION REPORT CARD, 2005

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