Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025
The Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025 would require the U.S. government to (1) produce a detailed, unclassified but with possible classified annex, annual report for five years mapping how Haiti’s criminal gangs are connected to its political and economic elites, and (2) within 90 days of that report, impose sanctions on any foreign individuals identified as having direct and significant links to those gangs. The report must catalog gangs, their leaders and activities, the geographic areas they operate in, elites with ties to those gangs, and how such ties influence politics and the economy in Haiti, including connections to trafficking networks and transnational crime. The sanctions would include blocking property and banning entry into the United States for those identified, with specific humanitarian and international-obligations exceptions. The act would sunset five years after enactment.
Key Points
- 1Mandatory reporting: Secretary of State (with other agencies as needed) must deliver an initial report within 180 days of enactment and then annually for five years, detailing gang activity, elite links, and the nature of collusion, including trafficking networks and potential threats to U.S. interests.
- 2Sanctions trigger: Within 90 days after the report is submitted, the President must impose sanctions on each foreign person identified as having direct and significant links to Haitian gangs or to entities controlled by those elites.
- 3Sanctions mechanics and visa bans: Sanctions include blocking property and prohibiting admissions, visas, or other entry benefits for the identified individuals; visas can be revoked, and existing visas can be canceled.
- 4Exceptions and humanitarian safeguards: Sanctions do not prevent necessary humanitarian aid, food, medicine, or supplies from reaching Haiti, and some international obligations (e.g., UN-related requirements) may allow for exceptions.
- 5Implementation, penalties, and sunset: The President uses IEEPA authorities to implement sanctions, with penalties mirroring those in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The act automatically ends five years after enactment unless renewed.