Haitian ex-President Martelly hit with U.S. sanctions, accused of facilitating drug trade

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. imposed sanctions on the former president of Haiti, Michel Joseph Martelly, Tuesday following accusations that he abused his influence to facilitate drug trafficking into the U.S. and sponsored gangs that have contributed to instability in the Caribbean country.

The Treasury Department’s acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Bradley T. Smith, said the action “emphasizes the significant and destabilizing role he and other corrupt political elites have played in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in Haiti.”

Haiti is engulfed in gang violence while peaceful protesters are tear-gas sed by police as they call on law enforcement to help them stop the gangs that have been violently seizing control of neighborhoods.

Hundreds of police officers from Kenya have arrived in Haiti for a U.N.-backed mission led by the East African country to deal with the gangs.

A July United Nations report states that gang violence in Haiti has displaced more than 300,000 children since March — with many children living in makeshift shelters, including schools in poor hygienic conditions, placing them at risk of disease.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> RELATED COVERAGE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Haitian police tear-gas peaceful protesters as they demand help in stopping gangs </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> For Haiti, the Paris Olympics is about more than just winning gold </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»>