Armed Men Kidnap Haiti Security Chief James Boyard in Port-au-Prince as Gangs Control 70% of Capital
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 13
Armed Men Kidnap Haiti Security Chief James Boyard in Port-au-Prince as Gangs Control 70% of Capital
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 13
Summary
James Boyard — Haiti’s Defense Ministry cabinet director and police inspector general — was seized Thursday in Bourdon, a relatively safe area of Port-au-Prince, in the highest-ranking kidnapping in recent years.
No group has claimed responsibility and no ransom was known, but analysts said Boyard’s rank and security detail suggest a carefully planned operation that may have involved insider help.
Diego Da Rin of the International Crisis Group said gangs are increasingly staging fake police stops and expanding kidnappings into safer neighborhoods while also targeting officials and dual nationals for higher leverage.
About 70% of Port-au-Prince is controlled by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, and recent police operations in gang strongholds such as Village de Dieu may have raised pressure around abductions.
U.N. data recorded 267 kidnappings from December 2025 to February 2026 and 1,268 in 2025, down nearly 40% from 2,058 a year earlier but still underscoring Haiti’s entrenched insecurity.