Former Senator De La Cruz Arrested in DR and Handed Over to Haitian Authorities

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— Dominican authorities handed over, on the afternoon of Monday, January 19, 2026, former Haitian Senator Francisco De La Cruz to the Haitian National Police (PNH) at the northern border. The information was confirmed by Chief Commissioner Léonard Anténor, head of the Border Police (POLIFRONT) in the Northeast, as reported by our colleagues at Le Nouvelliste daily. «Dominican authorities handed over former Senator Francisco De La Cruz to us, apprehended this Monday in neighboring territory,» Commissioner Anténor stated, without specifying the conditions of the arrest or the duration of the former parliamentarian's stay in the Dominican Republic. According to police sources, the ex-senator will be transferred to the Departmental Judicial Police Service (SDPJ) of the North to address the administrative and judicial procedures deemed necessary by the competent authorities. An old case reopened Elected in the Centre department, Francisco De La Cruz was cited in 2024 in an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) concerning parliamentarians suspected of irregularly using equipment belonging to the National Equipment Center (CNE). Although he had been questioned by the government commissioner, no legal proceedings were initiated against him at that time. The arrest, followed by the handover to Haitian authorities, occurs in a context marked by strengthened security cooperation between Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo, particularly concerning the cross-border movement of wanted individuals. Haitian law enforcement is indeed facing a lack of resources, persistent impunity, and the weakening of institutions responsible for fighting corruption. Security cooperation expected to continue According to several observers, this increased collaboration between the two neighboring countries could set a precedent for prosecuting public figures suspected of irregularities or wanted by Haitian justice. However, no official statement had been published by the PNH following the handover to authorities at the time of writing this article. The former senator's case is now expected to enter its judicial phase in Haiti, but the outcome of the proceedings remains uncertain given previous cases involving former elected officials. Jean Mapou / Le Rellef