More and more information is emerging about the reasons behind the arrest of Haitian businessman Réginald Boulos.
In addition to violating U.S. immigration laws, Réginald Boulos is also accused of alleged ties with armed gangs operating in Haiti.
The information was made public by Fox News in a tweet published on July 17, 2025: “ICE has arrested Pierre Réginald Boulos, a lawful permanent resident of the United States and Haitian citizen, for allegedly contributing to the destabilization of Haiti and collaborating with Haitian gang leaders linked to a foreign terrorist organization,” revealed the far-right American media outlet.
The tweet, widely relayed in the U.S. press, marks a turning point in media coverage of this case, which until now had been limited to allegations of immigration law violations.
According to The Miami Herald and Yahoo News, Boulos was apprehended at his home in Palm Beach, Florida, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and then transferred to the Krome detention center located in Miami-Dade County. He has not yet been formally criminally charged, but a hearing before an immigration judge is scheduled for July 31.
Born in New York, Réginald Boulos renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2020 in order to run for president of Haiti, as required by the Haitian Constitution. He is the founder of the political party MTV Ayiti (Movement for the Transformation and Valorization of Haiti) and one of the country’s most influential businessmen, with investments in retail (Delimart), the auto industry (Autoplaza), hospitality (NH El Rancho), and media (Le Matin).
Without naming anyone directly, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement announcing that the United States government will take steps to deport certain lawful permanent residents suspected of having supported or collaborated with the Haitian criminal coalition Viv Ansanm, which was recently designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the State Department.
“We will not allow individuals to retain legal status in the United States if they have facilitated the actions of violent organizations or supported terrorist groups,” said Marco Rubio during a press conference held in Washington.
In concrete terms, these deportations will be carried out by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) based on Section 237(a)(4)(C) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. This provision allows for the removal of any lawful permanent resident deemed likely to threaten the national security or foreign policy interests of the country.
The State Department claims to have tangible evidence showing that some permanent residents have maintained direct ties with gang leaders operating in Haiti under the Viv Ansanm banner, a group identified as one of the main drivers of armed violence, security chaos, and political instability on the island.
The Viv Ansanm coalition, active in Haiti for several years, is accused of having orchestrated or supported numerous deadly attacks, mass kidnappings, and systematic violence against civilians. It brings together several armed groups and criminal figures and, according to U.S. authorities, reportedly has connections reaching into the country’s economic and political elite.
Since the designation of Viv Ansanm as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, the United States has intensified its cooperation with regional partners to monitor, neutralize, and sanction its supporters—including those on U.S. soil.
This decision is part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration, which aims not only to strengthen domestic security measures but also to protect U.S. geopolitical interests in the Caribbean region, particularly in Haiti, which is currently mired in an unprecedented crisis.
“These new measures reflect our commitment to protect the American people and support regional stability,” the Secretary of State concluded in a press release issued on July 21.
The statement was published a few days after the ICE arrest of businessman Réginald Boulos for violations of U.S. immigration laws.
https://ctninfo.com/?p=35633&preview=true
Source: Fox News
