Haitian businessman Réginald Boulos was arrested in Florida, United States, on July 18, 2025, by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He has been held since then in a detention facility in Miami.
As of Saturday afternoon (July 19), no official reason had been provided for Boulos’s arrest and detention. However, initial information—particularly the fact that ICE agents carried out the arrest—suggests that it may be linked to discrepancies in his immigration file.
Although Boulos was born in New York on March 3, 1956, he reportedly began the process of applying for permanent residency in the U.S. after renouncing his American citizenship many years ago. Still, other information, shared Saturday by journalist Valerio Saint-Louis of Télé Image and citing sources close to the case, indicated that Boulos may have been arrested in connection with other matters.
Saint-Louis reported that the FBI is also involved in the case. According to him, the physician and businessman is facing serious charges, including support for armed gangs in Haiti, alleged involvement in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, corruption, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy.
The journalist also stated that lawyers for Boulos had submitted a request for his release on bail, which was reportedly denied by U.S. authorities.
A physician, entrepreneur, and political figure in Haiti, Réginald Boulos is an influential personality in the country’s private sector. His family has often been criticized for its perceived oligarchic power and accused of taking advantage of national crises to strengthen economic monopolies.
Boulos played a key role in the movement that led to the ousting of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004, as part of the Group of 184, a civil society organization. In 2018, he launched his own political party, the Movement for the Transformation and Valorization of Haiti (MTVAyiti), with the stated aim of “redistributing Haiti’s wealth and promoting social justice.”
In 2022, Boulos announced he was stepping down as president of the party, citing internal conflicts and health issues. He also stated that he was distancing himself from politics and business affairs in Haiti.
While Boulos’s arrest has triggered a wave of reactions, especially on social media, his family in Haiti has not yet issued any public statement.
