Gunmen have abducted a high-ranking Haitian security official in what marks the most significant government kidnapping in the Caribbean nation in recent years, according to a source familiar with the situation.
James Boyard, who holds the position of cabinet director within the Defense Ministry and also functions as inspector general for Haiti’s police force, was taken by armed individuals, a person with knowledge of the incident confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday.
The abduction represents the capture of the most senior government figure in the gang-dominated country in recent memory.
According to local news outlets, the kidnapping occurred Thursday in the Bourdon neighborhood, an area of Port-au-Prince typically viewed as one of the safer districts. Criminal organizations control roughly 70% of the capital through a coalition called Viv Ansanm, which received designation as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in May of last year.
Boyard, who also holds credentials as a political scientist, has been working on efforts to reconstruct Haiti’s military forces and has participated in evaluating the National Police to implement necessary changes.
Authorities have not identified the kidnappers or confirmed whether ransom demands have been made.
“A person of this rank clearly has a fairly important security detail,” said Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.
Da Rin suggested the capture of Boyard likely indicates extensive planning went into the kidnapping and may have required assistance from someone within his security protection team.
According to Da Rin, criminal groups are increasingly conducting abductions in Port-au-Prince areas previously thought secure, with gang members sometimes wearing police clothing and conducting fraudulent traffic stops.
He observed that criminal organizations have been targeting individuals holding dual citizenship and focusing on government officials. This strategy could indicate they are demanding larger ransom payments and potentially attempting to prevent authorities from launching attacks on gang-held territories where victims are detained, Da Rin explained.
Law enforcement has recently conducted operations against Village de Dieu, an area under control of the 5 Segond gang, whose leader Johnson Andre goes by “Izo” and ranks among Haiti’s most influential gang commanders.
Da Rin pointed out that criminal groups have been bringing kidnapping victims to Village de Dieu.
Recent high-profile abductions have included Haitian media personnel and foreign missionaries among their targets. Between December 2025 and February 2026, at least 267 individuals were reported kidnapped, with men comprising the majority of victims, according to United Nations data. The year 2025 saw 1,268 reported kidnappings, representing nearly a 40% decrease from the 2,058 cases documented in the preceding year, the report indicated.
