Current:Home > MarketsAuthorities in Haiti question former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him-LoTradeCoin
Authorities in Haiti question former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him
View Date:2024-12-23 21:21:45
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Authorities in Haiti questioned former rebel leader Guy Philippe on Friday at a police station where he remained held a day after the the United States repatriated him to Haiti, his lawyer said.
Philippe is a convicted drug trafficker who played a key role in the 2004 rebellion against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and also was accused of masterminding attacks on police stations and other targets.
Philippe has an outstanding warrant stemming from a 2016 fatal attack on a police station in the southern coastal city of Les Cayes, police officials told The Associated Press on Thursday, speaking on condition an anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Philippe was being held for questioning Friday, but has not been charged and no hearing has been held, his attorney Emmanuel Jeanty told the AP. The attorney said he would be visiting Philippe again on Friday to try to secure his release.
The former rebel leader once served as police chief for the northern coastal city of Cap-Haitien and had been recently elected to Haiti’s Senate when local authorities arrested him in Haiti in January 2017 while he participated in a live radio talk show.
He was extradited to the U.S., where he was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to a money laundering charge. Authorities had said he used his high-ranking position within Haiti’s National Police to provide protection for drug shipments in exchange for up to $3.5 million in bribes.
Philippe, who has stated in recent interviews that he intends to be involved in his country’s affairs, arrived back in Haiti as it struggles with widespread gang violence and deepening political instability.
Guerline Jozef, founder of the U.S.-based community organization Haitian Bridge Alliance, questioned why Philippe was flown to his homeland during a time of upheaval and accused the U.S. government in a statement Friday of being complicit “in contributing to the ongoing destabilization” of Haiti.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
veryGood! (86)
Related
- Donna Kelce Includes Sweet Nod to Taylor Swift During Today Appearance With Craig Melvin
- Frederick Richard next poster athlete for men's gymnastics after team bronze performance
- Delaware gubernatorial candidate calls for investigation into primary rival’s campaign finances
- Stores lure back-to-school shoppers with deals and ‘buy now, pay later’ plans
- The Best Gifts for People Who Don’t Want Anything
- Wayfair’s Black Friday in July Sale Ends Tonight! How To Get 80% off While You Still Can
- Utility cuts natural gas service to landslide-stricken Southern California neighborhood
- Frederick Richard next poster athlete for men's gymnastics after team bronze performance
- Get Your Home Holiday-Ready & Decluttered With These Storage Solutions Starting at $14
- Taylor Swift 'at a complete loss' after UK mass stabbing leaves 3 children dead
Ranking
- Everard Burke Introduce
- Woman killed and 2 others wounded in shooting near New York City migrant shelter
- Artificial turf or grass?: Ohio bill would require all pro teams to play on natural surfaces
- Wisconsin man sentenced for threatening to shoot lawmakers if they passed a bill to arm teachers
- Get $103 Worth of Tatcha Skincare for $43.98 + 70% Off Flash Deals on Elemis, Josie Maran & More
- 2024 Olympics: Gymnast Aly Raisman Defends Jade Carey After Her Fall at Paris Games
- Best of 'ArtButMakeItSports': Famed Social media account dominates Paris Olympics' first week
- Detroit woman who pleaded guilty in death of son found in freezer sentenced to 35 to 60 years
Recommendation
-
To Protect the Ozone Layer and Slow Global Warming, Fertilizers Must Be Deployed More Efficiently, UN Says
-
Law school grads could earn licenses through work rather than bar exam in some states
-
103 earthquakes in one week: What's going on in west Texas?
-
Dan + Shay’s Shay Mooney and Wife Hannah Billingsley Expecting Baby No. 4
-
American Idol’s Triston Harper, 16, Expecting a Baby With Wife Paris Reed
-
Lawsuit says Norfolk Southern’s freight trains cause chronic delays for Amtrak
-
What to watch for the Paris Olympics: Simone Biles leads US in gymnastics final Tuesday, July 30
-
Banks want your voice data for extra security protection. Don't do it!