Haitian Gang Violence Sparks Wave Of Migrants Trying To Reach Florida

Prosecutors in the Bahamas charged four men with manslaughter after a vessel carrying mostly Haitian migrants to Florida capsized, leaving more than a dozen passengers dead.

The illegal smuggling operation was one of an onslaught of Haitian boats traveling to the Florida coast in light of the recent escalation of gang warfare in the island nation.

On July 24, in the middle of the night, the rickety, 30-foot speedboat transporting about 45 people tipped over on its way to U.S. shores. Local Bahamian authorities managed to rescue 25 passengers off the coast of Nassau, but 17 died in the accident, including a child, an infant, and a pregnant woman. 

Donald Watson, McKenzie Jerome, Eulan McKinney, and Wilbens Joseph were charged with manslaughter, while Watson and McKinney face an additional charge for reckless and illegal operation of a vessel without a license. Watson was previously convicted for illegally helping an immigrant get to Palm Beach, Florida, in 2019. He was released in 2021 after serving a two-year sentence, according to Reuters.

Their court proceedings are expected to continue on October 28. 

The migrants aboard the vessel were some of the 3,000 Haitains who fled the capital city of Port-au-Prince in July as gang violence in the country increased, resulting in a spike in Haitian migrants attempting to come to the United States by boat.

The two leading gangs– the G-9 and G-Pèp– reportedly killed more than 470 Haitians in the span of nine days. 

The migration route by sea, although more dangerous, receives less media and federal law enforcement attention, both of which currently focus on the immigration crisis at the United States–Mexico border. 

Haitian migrants spend about $3,000–$8,000 per passenger for transport to America and often opt for the maritime route on insecure boats to escape the ruthless gangs.