Former Haitian Lawmaker Arrested for Allegedly Arming Gangs

Prophane Victor, previously sanctioned by the U.S. and Canada, is accused of aiding gang violence in Haiti's Artibonite region.

Prophane Victor, a former Haitian parliamentarian, was arrested in Port-au-Prince for allegedly supplying weapons to gangs in the Artibonite region.
Victor is accused of arming young men to secure his 2016 election, with those men later forming Gran Grif, the region's largest gang.
Gran Grif has been linked to numerous violent acts, including an October 2024 massacre in Pont-Sonde that killed dozens, one of Haiti's deadliest recent events.
Victor faced sanctions from Canada in 2023 and the U.S. in 2024 for alleged support of gangs involved in severe human rights abuses.
His arrest is seen as a rare step toward accountability in a nation grappling with widespread gang violence and political impunity.