Gunmen in Haiti kidnap senior defense official James Boyard
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- James Boyard, cabinet director of Haiti's Defense Ministry and inspector general of Haiti’s police, was kidnapped by armed men in Port-au-Prince, marking the highest-ranking official abduction in recent years.
- Boyard was seized in Bourdon, one of the few relatively safe areas in the capital, which is largely controlled by the gang coalition Viv Ansanm, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. in 2023.
- The kidnapping appears to have been carefully planned, possibly involving collaboration from someone close to Boyard's security detail, reflecting a trend of gangs operating in previously safe zones using tactics like fake police operations.
- Gangs in Port-au-Prince have increasingly targeted individuals with dual nationalities and public officials, likely aiming for higher ransoms and deterring police actions against gang-controlled areas.
- Some kidnapping victims are reportedly being held in Village de Dieu, controlled by the powerful 5 Segond gang led by Johnson Andre ("Izo"), following recent police offensives in the area.