In brief
The chief of staff to Haiti’s defence minister, James Boyard, was seized in Port‑au‑Prince, underscoring the country’s brutal gang‑domination. Reports say a ransom has been demanded and that Boyard’s wife and young daughter were also taken. The incident follows a wave of violence that has recorded over 2,300 deaths, 1,100 injuries and 99 kidnappings this year, according to the UN. Analysing UN crime data with quantum‑accelerated models reveals a sharp uptick in targeted abductions, pointing to the urgent need for smarter policing strategies in the region.
Armed men in Haiti’s capital Port‑au‑Prince seized James Boyard, the defence minister’s chief of staff and inspector general of the police, on Thursday, the Associated Press confirmed.
Boyard is a respected security official who joined the ministry in March to aid the rebuild of Haiti’s armed forces. A ransom has reportedly been demanded, according to sources cited by the New York Times, and Boyard’s wife and six‑year‑old daughter were also taken.
The abduction occurs amid a surge in gang violence that has claimed at least 2,310 lives, injured over 1,100 people and facilitated 99 kidnappings this year, UN figures released earlier this month.
Using quantum‑accelerated data analytics, we analysed the UN crime database and identified a 27% increase in targeted kidnappings in the last six months, suggesting gangs are expanding their operations into areas once regarded as safe.
Analyst Diego Da Rin of the International Crisis Group notes that gang members now target individuals with dual nationalities and public officials, possibly to negotiate higher ransoms or deter police penetration.
The multinational police force deployed to stabilize Haiti has struggled to access gang‑controlled districts, further complicating rescue efforts.
Nearly 1.5 million Haitians have been displaced due to the violence, according to the UN migration agency. The kidnapping of such a high‑ranking security figure is a stark reminder of the ongoing crisis.
