Federal authorities in Miami have taken custody of Pierre Réginald Boulos, a prominent Haitian businessman, doctor, and former candidate for the presidency of Haiti. The arrest happened at Boulos’ residence in South Florida late last week, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke on Monday.
Born in the United States, Boulos renounced his U.S. citizenship to pursue a presidential run in Haiti in recent years. He regained U.S. residency under the Biden administration last year.
Boulos has faced numerous corruption allegations, which he has consistently denied. His arrest marks a significant event as he is the most recognized Haitian individual apprehended to date by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Details surrounding the reason for Boulos’ arrest remain unclear, and ICE has not provided any responses to inquiries seeking further clarification.
An attorney representing Boulos was also unavailable for comment at this time. Currently, he is detained at the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, a facility noted in a recent Human Rights Watch report for being severely over capacity and in violation of international human rights standards.
Boulos has a history of entrepreneurship in Haiti, where he held the position of president of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and founded several businesses. In 2019, he established the Third Way Movement, a political party aimed at opposing what he termed the ‘shameless elite and unscrupulous politicians’ who hinder progress and amplify the struggles of the populace.
At that time, the party declared its intention to seek a ‘historic political compromise’ to facilitate the end of Jovenel Moïse’s presidency. Boulos actively campaigned for support in Haiti’s central region in August 2019, stating, ‘I am part of the system that must be destroyed. I know how to destroy it.’
Jovenel Moïse served as president of Haiti from 2017 until he was assassinated in July 2021. Following his death, numerous suspects were arrested, including seventeen former Colombian soldiers who are still being investigated by Haitian authorities.
Court documents revealed that Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a pastor and doctor, envisioned himself as a potential successor to Moïse amidst the subsequent political chaos. Since then, elections have not occurred, leading to a noticeable increase in gang violence within the political void.
In light of the deteriorating conditions in Haiti, Boulos returned to the United States. His arrest comes at a time when the Trump administration is moving to eliminate legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians, having announced the revocation of protections for those who entered the U.S. under a humanitarian parole program.
Rod Joseph, a Haitian-American candidate for U.S. Congress, expressed his advocacy against the deportation of individuals who are not criminals but are instead seeking better lives. He stated, ‘If the president goes after criminals, no one is against that. But if you deport someone who doesn’t commit any crime who’s here seeking a better life, this is when we start having issues with the practice.’
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