MIAMI — Haitian businessman Dimitri Vorbe, a member of one of the country’s most powerful families, has been arrested in Florida by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on allegations of supporting violent gangs that continue to destabilize Haiti.
According to the U.S. State Department, Vorbe was taken into custody on Tuesday in the Miami area. The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince said investigators determined that he “participated in a campaign of violence and gang support that contributed to Haiti’s destabilization,” adding that his activities in the United States posed risks to Washington’s foreign policy.
The announcement was accompanied by a video on social media showing Vorbe’s mugshot with the word “detained”stamped across it in red, as well as images of him flanked by two agents in tactical gear.
An elite family under investigation
Vorbe is linked to a family business empire that once managed a private energy company supplying electricity in Haiti and benefitted from lucrative government contracts in construction. His detention marks the second arrest of a high-profile Haitian elite in U.S. territory in less than two months.
In July, businessman and former presidential candidate Pierre Réginald Boulos was also detained by immigration authorities near Miami. Both Vorbe and Boulos remain in U.S. custody, facing accusations of ties to armed groups that Washington has recently designated as foreign terrorist organizations. To date, no formal charges have been filed against either man.
Gangs and Haiti’s collapse
For years, Haiti’s wealthy elite have been suspected of financing or shielding the gangs that now dominate as much as 90 percent of Port-au-Prince. The armed groups have transformed the capital into a battlefield, forcing thousands from their homes and crippling state institutions.
International efforts to contain the crisis have stalled. A U.N.-backed multinational mission led by Kenyan police officers has struggled with limited manpower and funding. Fewer than 1,000 personnel are currently deployed—far below the 2,500 initially promised. The mission’s trust fund has collected only $112 million, a fraction of the estimated $800 million annual requirement.
Haiti on the U.N. stage
Vorbe’s arrest comes as Haiti’s crisis features prominently at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Kenyan President William Ruto noted that outdated vehicles donated to the mission by the U.S. frequently broke down in dangerous areas, placing peacekeepers in jeopardy. He called for a stronger, more adequately resourced international deployment.
The United States and Panama have pressed the U.N. Security Council to authorize a new force of 5,550 personnelwith powers to detain suspected gang leaders. Meanwhile, Dominican President Luis Abinader warned that Haiti’s ongoing instability poses a regional threat.
“The multidimensional crisis in Haiti represents a serious threat to peace and security for the Dominican Republic and the entire Caribbean,” Abinader said, urging the international community to commit to a coherent and sustained intervention.
By the Haitian Tribune Editorial Staff
