08/05/2025
Haitian authorities arrested former senator on Saturday in , a prominent district of the capital, , on charges of conspiring against the state and financing criminal organizations. The arrest, announced by Haiti’s National Police via a Facebook post, marks a rare move against a high-profile figure in a nation grappling with rampant gang violence. Photos shared by the police showed Cassy in handcuffs, flanked by heavily armed officers in ski masks, underscoring the gravity of the operation.
Cassy, designated as a corrupt actor by the U.S. State Department in 2023, faces accusations of supporting gang members responsible for deadly attacks in , a neighborhood 6 miles outside Port-au-Prince. Known as a haven for Haiti’s elite, Kenscoff had largely escaped the gang violence plaguing the capital until February, when dozens were killed in assaults linked to groups allegedly backed by Cassy. These attacks signaled a bold push by gangs to seize more territory, with the United Nations reporting that 90% of Port-au-Prince is now under gang control.
The arrest comes amid escalating violence in Kenscoff, where, on Sunday, nine workers, including one foreign citizen, were kidnapped from the Sainte Hélène orphanage, operated by Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH). The attack, which occurred around 2 a.m., targeted a facility sheltering over 240 vulnerable children. NPH confirmed the abduction of seven staff members and one youth, withholding the foreigner’s identity and nationality for security reasons. In response, the organization announced the closure of its two hospitals in until the victims are safely released. Kenscoff’s mayor, Massillon Jean, told The Associated Press that the kidnappings reflect the growing audacity of armed groups in the region.
Haiti’s struggle with gang violence has reached critical levels, with over 5,600 deaths reported in 2024 and more than 1 million people displaced in recent years, according to U.N. data. Between April and June 2025, the U.N. recorded 185 kidnappings, a tactic gangs use to assert control over communities. The arrest of Cassy, a once-influential political figure, highlights the complex ties between power and crime in Haiti, where government efforts to reclaim territory face immense challenges.
As the nation awaits further developments, the focus remains on whether Cassy’s arrest will lead to broader accountability or spark retaliation from the gangs he allegedly supported. For now, communities like Kenscoff brace for continued unrest, caught in the crosshairs of a deepening crisis.
