Haiti Defense Ministry official kidnapped in Port-au-Prince neighborhood

Armed men seized James Boyard, cabinet director of Haiti's Defense Ministry and inspector general of the country's police, on Thursday in the Bourdon neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. Boyard, a political scientist tasked with rebuilding Haiti's armed forces and assessing the National Police for reforms, is the highest-ranking official kidnapped in Haiti in recent years.

Local media reported the abduction occurred in Bourdon, one of the few areas of the capital still viewed as relatively safe.

U.S. designated a foreign terrorist organization in May 2025. It remains unclear whether a ransom demand has been made.

Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, said the abduction of an official with Boyard's rank likely required detailed planning and possible inside assistance. He noted that kidnappings have increasingly occurred in areas once considered safe, with gang members sometimes wearing police uniforms during fake operations.

Da Rin said gangs have targeted people with dual nationalities and public officials, possibly seeking higher ransoms or attempting to deter authorities from operations in areas where victims are held.

N. report, 267 people were kidnapped in Haiti from December 2025 to February 2026, most of them men. The same report recorded 1,268 kidnappings in 2025, down nearly 40 percent from 2,058 the previous year.

High-profile kidnappings in recent years have included Haitian journalists and international missionaries. Police recently conducted an operation against Village de Dieu.