Officials on Tuesday, in a rare drug seizure in the Caribbean country, said that three suspected drug smugglers were killed in the exchange of fire as police seized more than 2,300 pounds of cocaine in Haiti.
Police raids were away from the coast of North Haiti near the torture island, where smugglers are suspected of transferring drugs, Port-D-Pix prosecutor Jer Pierre told Radio Carbes on Tuesday.
Pierre said that the police have postponed any action at that place due to lack of resources for a long time, but said that a regional police director has recently requested to use a boat around the torture island.
Pierre said, “We have this area in our sites for a long time.”
Pierre said the police on Sunday approached a suspected drug trafficking boat and ordered the suspects to extend their hands, but they did not follow it and instead set fire to the officials, Pierre said.
Officials returned the fire, in which two suspected drug smugglers jumped into the sea and dying later. Pierre said a third suspected drug traffic was killed, while he was injured in fourth place from Bahamas and was later arrested.
Police said on social media that Jamaica was one of the suspects who died.
Police also released images On social media of seized cocaine. The photos showed the authorities next to the pile of drugs, with some packages in front “Rolex” labels.
Pierre said that no high -tight police officers were injured.
The US government has earlier noted that powerful people are involved in the drug trade of the country in Haiti.
In August 2024, the US Treasury Department approved former Higher -Hotian President Mitchell Martelli, accused him of misusing his impact for smuggling of drugs including cocaine.
The Treasury Department said, “Many of Haiti’s many political and business elbows have been involved in drug trafficking for a long time and are involved in the gang responsible for the violence that destroyed hati,” the Treasury Department said.
Haiti has long been worked as a transit center for the movement of cocaine and other illegal drugs for the Republic of America and Dominican, according to A Report By the United Nations office on drugs and crime.
United Nations office has also noted Some gangs of Haiti have larger arsenal than the police as they have become “strong, rich and more autonomous”.
