Haiti, maritime corridor of drug trafficking: three major seizures documented by UN
The final report S/2026/714 of the UN Group of Experts documents three seizures of cocaine and cannabis via Haitian waters in 2025-2026.
Haitian maritime routes at the heart of regional drug trafficking
According to vantbefinfo.com, the United Nations Group of Experts published its final report S/2026/714 in September 2026, documenting three major seizures of cocaine and cannabis involving Haitian waters and ports. The report emphasises that persistent insecurity and weak control mechanisms facilitate the development of illicit trafficking. Northern Haiti constitutes an active corridor for criminal networks operating in the region, with documented participation of Jamaican and Bahamian nationals.
Turtle Island: 1,045 kilos of cocaine intercepted
On 13 July 2025, the Haitian National Police (PNH) intercepted a vessel off Turtle Island, in the North-West department, seizing 1,045 kilogrammes of cocaine. A Member State indicated to the experts that the cargo originated from the coastal region of Buritaca, in the Colombian department of Magdalena, an operational zone of the criminal group Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada.
The report assesses the value of the cargo at approximately 34 million dollars on the American market. Two nationals — one Jamaican, the other Bahamian — were arrested and died during the operation; two other suspects fell into the sea. Haitian authorities pursued their investigation by exploiting data extracted from a satellite telephone and SIM cards recovered at the scene.
Antwerp: more than one tonne concealed in a cocoa shipment
On 14 July 2025, a container left the port of Cap-Haïtien bound for Europe. After transshipment in Kingston, Jamaica, it arrived at the port of Antwerp, Belgium, on 22 August 2025. Belgian authorities discovered 1,156.42 kilogrammes of cocaine distributed in 1,000 packets, according to the UN report.
The drug had been introduced using the so-called "rip-off" method: illicit products are concealed in a legitimate commercial shipment, sometimes without the knowledge of the shipper and recipient. This is the second case reported in Antwerp involving a shipment from Haiti: in September 2023, Belgian authorities had already seized 308.7 kilogrammes of cocaine in a consignment sent from Port-au-Prince. Both cases are linked to Haitian cocoa export circuits. The report notes, however, that it is not established that the exporters concerned were aware of the presence of narcotics.
Môle-Saint-Nicolas: 1,376 kilos of cannabis seized by US coastguards
On 30 April 2026, US coastguards intercepted a vessel off Môle-Saint-Nicolas, in the North-West, resulting in the seizure of 1,376 kilogrammes of cannabis. The Group of Experts emphasises that this operation illustrates the scale of flows of narcotics transiting through Haitian waters towards the northern Caribbean and beyond.
The report also notes overlaps between certain drug trafficking networks and clandestine migration channels, which may use similar maritime routes, whilst indicating that these activities should not be systematically equated with one another.
Insufficient port and maritime controls
The Group of Experts concludes that the documented seizures testify to Haiti's role in certain regional routes of drug trafficking. Traffickers exploit maritime routes and legitimate commercial circuits to move their cargoes, in a context of fragile governance and widespread insecurity.
The report specifies that these data do not mean that all Haitian exports are suspicious or that the companies involved necessarily participate in trafficking. They highlight the risks of diversion of cargoes and the difficulties in controlling logistical chains. Strengthening port controls, maritime surveillance and international cooperation is identified as a central issue for limiting this transit of narcotics.
By Deslande Aristilde / Vant Bèf Info
Source: Google News HT — Crime