Haitian Gangs are Setting Up Shop for Seaborne Drug Smuggling

The United Nations warns that gang warlords in Haiti have turned the country’s coastal waters into a pivotal transshipment hub for drugs originating from South America and destined for key markets across the Caribbean, the U.S. and Europe.

As the country plunges deeper into the abyss of lawlessness, the UN contends that large gangs have taken control and are deeply entrenched along strategic corridors, in effect turning most of the country’s coastal waters into transit routes not only for drugs but also arms and human smuggling. Île de la Tortue (Tortuga), an island located off the north coast of Haiti, has become a transshipment center for most of the international drug trafficking activity owing to its size and remoteness.

While the rocky and mountainous island has a history of having been a playground for pirates, in recent times organized criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling and other illicit activities have turned it into a logistical and storage platform for illicit shipments. This owes to its geographical position, which provides direct maritime access to the Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica, as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Île de la Tortue’s role as a drug trafficking hub is highlighted by the seizure of 1,045 kilograms of cocaine in July, the country’s largest drug bust in over 30 years. In the operation, the Haitian National Police and other agencies seized 49 bags containing a total of 959 packets of cocaine following a shootout with suspected traffickers who were using a boat. Three traffickers of Jamaican nationality were killed, while a fourth individual, a Bahamian national, sustained injuries. Notably, the cocaine was believed to have originated in South America and was intended for distribution across the Caribbean and the U.S.

Just two weeks later, another 426 kilograms of cannabis was confiscated in Petite-Anse, near Cap-Haïtien again in the north of the country. In the same month, two Haitian nationals were arrested in Jamaica with over 1,350 kilograms of cannabis worth $9.3 million.

That some of the drugs entering the European market originate from Haiti is also evident. In August 2025, Belgian authorities seized 1,156 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a container at the port of Antwerp. Investigations indicated that the consignment departed Cap-Haïtien and transited through Kingston before arriving in Belgium where it was intercepted. A year earlier, law enforcement authorities in the Turks and Caicos had interdicted over $2.7 million worth of marijuana traced back to Île de la Tortue.

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), drug traffickers and other smugglers involved in illicit activities are using Île de la Tortue as a departure point for overcrowded boats to run their illegal trade leveraging maritime expertise, familial links and cultural connections. Control of domestic routes has allowed gangs to move drugs with impunity while also extorting tolls from boats and engaging in armed robbery at sea, the office says.

“The seizures of drugs both in Haitian waters and in Europe indicate sophisticated, coordinated and established trafficking routes that require a robust regional response by law enforcement agencies,” said the UN.

UNODC is leading efforts to support Haiti in dealing with the growing menace, with measures cutting across helping authorities increase interdiction capacity at ports, airports and land borders, strengthening the capabilities of the Haitian coast guard, identifying and dismantling cross-border criminal networks among others.