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Armed men in Haiti’s capital seize top official in rare high-level abduction

Armed men in Haiti have kidnapped James Boyard, cabinet director of the Defence Ministry and a highly respected security expert who also serves as inspector…

By Samantha Johnson / June 13, 2026
Armed men in Haiti have kidnapped James Boyard, cabinet director of the Defence Ministry and a highly respected security expert who also serves as inspector general of Haiti’s police, a person with the knowledge of the situation said on Saturday.

He is the highest-ranking official to be kidnapped in the gang-wracked Caribbean country in recent years.

A person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorised to speak publicly about the case confirmed the kidnapping to Associated Press on Saturday.

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Local media reported that Boyard was seized on Thursday in Bourdon, one of the few areas in Port-au-Prince that is considered relatively safe. An estimated 70 per cent of the capital is controlled by a powerful gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm, which the US designated as a foreign terrorist organisation in May last year.

Boyard, who is also a political scientist, was tasked with helping rebuild Haiti’s armed forces and has helped assess Haiti’s National Police to implement reforms.

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It was not clear who kidnapped him or whether a ransom had been requested.

A police vehicle drives around cars burned by armed gangs in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince in January. Kidnappings are increasingly occurring in areas of Port-au-Prince once considered safe. Photo: TNS
A police vehicle drives around cars burned by armed gangs in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince in January. Kidnappings are increasingly occurring in areas of Port-au-Prince once considered safe. Photo: TNS

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