New law mandates annual reports on elite-gang ties and imposes automatic sanctions – a game-changer for accountability in Haiti
Washington, D.C. – December 29, 2025 In a rare display of bipartisan unity, the U.S. Congress has enacted the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025, embedding the measure into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. The NDAA passed both the House and Senate, with final approval on December 17, and now heads to President Trump’s desk for signature.
The legislation marks one of the strongest U.S. responses yet to Haiti’s deepening crisis, where powerful criminal gangs — often armed with U.S.-trafficked weapons — control much of the capital and key infrastructure, fueled by alleged collusion with political and economic elites.
What the Law Requires
For the next five years, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Departments of Treasury, Justice, and Homeland Security, must submit a detailed annual public report to Congress identifying:
- Prominent criminal gangs in Haiti, their leaders, and territories of control
- Political and economic elites — including current and former government officials, high-level staff, business executives, and other influential figures — with direct and significant ties to these gangs
- How these relationships facilitate criminal activities, advance private interests, and sustain violence
- Threats posed to the Haitian people, U.S. national interests, and regional stability
- Recommended actions by the U.S. and Haitian governments to disrupt the collusion
Most importantly, the law triggers automatic sanctions: the President must impose visa bans and asset freezes on any individuals or entities named in the reports for known gang links. Violators of these sanctions face civil and criminal penalties.
Building on Recent Enforcement Momentum
The act builds directly on recent U.S. actions, including:
- Sanctions against businessman Dimitri Vorbe, accused of financing gang activities
- Sanctions and charges against Pierre Réginald Boulos, linked to violence and immigration fraud
- Broader Treasury designations targeting gang leaders and their financial networks
These steps reflect growing evidence that Haiti’s violence is not merely street-level crime but a system propped up by powerful “enablers” who allegedly supply arms, launder money, and profit from chaos.
Bipartisan Leadership Sends a Clear Message
The bill was championed by a cross-party coalition, including Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and others from both sides of the aisle. Supporters argue that shining a light on elite complicity — long whispered about but rarely documented officially — is essential to breaking the cycle of impunity.
“This is not just about gangs with guns,” said one congressional staffer involved in the drafting. “It’s about the suits who arm them, fund them, and shield them. Until we target the enablers, the violence won’t stop.”
Haitian civil society groups and diaspora advocates have welcomed the law as a potential turning point, provided the reports are thorough, evidence-based, and lead to real consequences.
A Path Toward Stability?
With Haiti’s transitional government struggling to restore order, elections delayed, and over 1.3 million people displaced, the act offers a new lever for U.S. policy: using financial and travel restrictions to isolate those who benefit from instability.
If signed — widely expected — the first report will be due within months, setting the stage for what could be the most comprehensive public accounting of Haiti’s power-corruption nexus to date.
For a nation exhausted by violence and betrayal, the message from Washington is clear: complicity has a cost.
L’Union Suite will track the bill’s signing, the first report’s release, and any resulting sanctions. The Haitian people have waited long enough for accountability.
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