Washington, DC – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks and Michael McCaul, Ranking Member and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Maria Salazar, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick issued the following statement regarding the House passage of H.R. 1684, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act. The bill would require the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the ties between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti, and impose sanctions on political and economic elites involved in such criminal activities:
"Today's bipartisan House passage of H.R. 1684 underscores the United States’ unwavering commitment to holding corrupt Haitian political and economic elites accountable for their role in supporting Haiti’s destabilizing gang activity. Pervasive gang violence has exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian and security crises devastating the people of Haiti. In the political insecurity following President Moise’s assassination, criminals in Haiti have sought to profit from the chaos, supporting gangs to enrich themselves and claim more power.
“The United States must hold these corrupt individuals responsible for their support of criminal behaviors and prohibit their free travel and activities in the United States. This bill authorizes the Secretary of State to sanction corrupt actors who regularly use gangs as a lever of power and requires delivery of regular reports to Congress on Haitian gang activity.
“This legislative milestone represents significant progress in our efforts to support a Haitian-led resolution to this crisis. By curbing corruption and taking concrete actions against criminal networks, we aim to foster a more stable and hopeful future for Haiti and its people."
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