Armed men in Haiti’s capital seize a top security official in rare high-level abduction
NBC News • • world
Key Points:
- James Boyard, cabinet director of Haiti's Defense Ministry and inspector general of the police, was kidnapped by armed men in Port-au-Prince, marking the highest-profile abduction of a government official in recent years.
- Boyard was seized in Bourdon, a relatively safe area of the capital, which is largely controlled by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S.
- The kidnapping appears to have been carefully planned, possibly involving insiders, as Boyard had a significant security detail; gangs have increasingly targeted officials and dual nationals for higher ransoms.
- Kidnappings have spread into previously secure areas, with gangs sometimes impersonating police to carry out abductions, and victims are often taken to gang-controlled zones like Village de Dieu.
- Haiti has seen a high number of kidnappings in recent years, with over 1,200 reported in 2025 and at least 267 from December 2025 to February 2026, despite a recent decline compared to previous years.