Federal immigration agents have arrested Dimitri Vorbe, one of the most powerful and wealthy businessmen from Haiti, on U.S. soil. He was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday.
Powerful Haiti Elite Taken Into Custody in the U.S.
According to official records, ICE is holding Vorbe at the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, Florida. Authorities have not explained why they arrested him or whether he faces formal charges. A search of Florida’s court records found no charges filed against him. ICE officials have not yet issued a statement on the matter.
This arrest comes just two months after ICE agents also detained another well-known figure from Haiti, Réginald Boulos. U.S. authorities accused Boulos, a businessman and former presidential candidate, of supporting violent gangs in Haiti. The two arrests show that U.S. officials are detaining members of Haiti’s upper-class elite on American soil.
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Experts on Haitian politics have noted that these arrests send a strong message to Haiti’s wealthy and powerful families that they may no longer be untouchable, even when living outside their home country.
A Wealthy Scion with Deep Ties to Haiti’s Power Sector
Dimitri Vorbe is part of the prominent Vorbe family, which owns Société Générale d’Énergie S.A, one of Haiti’s largest private power companies. This company was once a major supplier of electricity to the country’s state-owned utility.
The Vorbe family also gained influence through government construction contracts during the presidency of René Préval. These projects included road building and other large-scale infrastructure work, making the family an economic force in the Caribbean nation.
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In 2020, the administration of former President Jovenel Moïse seized control of Vorbe’s power company after accusations of corruption. This event marked a turning point, as Moïse’s government claimed that members of the Haitian elite had been benefiting unfairly from state resources.
Haitians have long criticized elite families for using their economic power to secure political influence. Reports suggest that figures like Vorbe and Boulos were part of the oligarch class targeted by Moïse before his assassination. Many ordinary citizens in Haiti, who suffer from a weak judicial system and constant violence, see these arrests as rare accountability for the wealthy.
U.S. Crackdown on Corruption and Gang Ties in Haiti
The arrest of Dimitri Vorbe came just one day after the U.S. government imposed sanctions on two former Haitian officials connected to the Vorbe family. U.S. authorities accused Arnel Belizaire, a former member of Haiti’s Chamber of Deputies, and Antonio Cheramy, a former senator, of engaging in “significant corruption.”
The sanctions now bar them, along with their families, from entering the United States. These measures highlight a growing U.S. crackdown on corruption and alleged ties between Haitian elites and violent gangs.
Christopher Landau, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of State, recently stated that the U.S. government would remain “relentless” in its pursuit of those supporting terrorist gangs. This pursuit, he explained, includes arrests, indictments, sanctions, and immigration restrictions.
The Vorbe family’s political connections are also noteworthy. Joel “Pacha” Vorbe is a member of Haiti’s Fanmi Lavalas political party. In addition, a lawyer for the Vorbe family’s power company was once appointed Haiti’s minister of justice. That lawyer later resigned and was sanctioned by the Canadian government.
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For years, Haiti’s elite families have been accused of collaborating with gangs, many of which control nearly 90% of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. With violence surging in recent years, the accusations against these business and political figures have gained international attention.
The arrests of Dimitri Vorbe and Réginald Boulos now highlight how deeply the U.S. is focusing on Haiti’s wealthy elite. While the reasons for Vorbe’s detention remain unclear, the move adds another layer to the complex picture of power, corruption, and violence surrounding Haiti’s troubled political and economic system.