In a Miami federal court, a jury initially deadlocked on the drug-smuggling charges against Haitian National Police officer Claude Thelemaque but returned a guilty verdict after further deliberation prompted by the judge. Thelemaque, who served as a police commander in Haiti, was accused of participating in a protection racket for Colombian cocaine traffickers between 2005 and 2012. Despite his defense presenting evidence that he was not in Haiti during a specific drug landing, the jury convicted him based on the testimonies of three traffickers.
The case highlighted a broader issue of corruption within the Haitian National Police, where officers allegedly provided security for drug shipments. Notably, the trial included references to Rodolphe Jaar and Beaudouin “Jacques” Ketant, major traffickers who cooperated with U.S. authorities. Jaar did not testify at Thelemaque’s trial but had previously implicated him in unloading a cocaine shipment in February 2012. Ketant, a significant figure in the narrative, had his 27-year sentence reduced by half due to his substantial assistance in convicting other traffickers and officials, though he was not directly involved in Thelemaque’s trial.
Thelemaque now faces a potential life sentence, reflecting ongoing U.S. efforts to crack down on drug trafficking involving Haitian law enforcement.
