A bipartisan coalition of U.S. Senators, including Florida Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), today announced the introduction of the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025. The proposed legislation mandates the Department of State to investigate and report on the connections between criminal gangs and political and economic figures in Haiti, aiming to hold perpetrators of violence and their enablers accountable.
The bill, cosponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Curtis (R-UT), and Tim Kaine (D-VA), seeks to impose sanctions on identified individuals and entities.
This legislative effort comes as the current U.S. administration reportedly moves to designate Haitian gangs Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as terrorist organizations.
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“The people of Haiti have suffered for too long at the hands of violent gangs and corrupt elites who put their own power over their people,” said Scott. “This bill will shine a light on the collusion between criminals and those in power, makes clear that the United States will not stand for this violence and prioritizes our national security interests in the region.”
The Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025 outlines specific measures, including:
- Reporting Requirements: Within 180 days of enactment, and annually thereafter for five years, the Secretary of State must submit a report identifying prominent criminal gangs, their leaders, activities, and operational areas. The report must also list political and economic elites knowingly linked to these gangs, detail these relationships, and assess how such collusion threatens Haiti and U.S. interests.
- Sanctions: No later than 90 days after the submission of the report, the President is required to impose sanctions on foreign persons identified. These sanctions include property blocking and visa ineligibility or revocation for entry into the United States.
- Exceptions and Waivers: The bill includes exceptions for humanitarian aid and allows the President to waive sanctions if deemed vital to U.S. national security interests.
“The ongoing gang violence has displaced more than a million Haitians—including women and children, creating a dire humanitarian catastrophe mere hundreds of miles from U.S. shores,” Senator Shaheen. “The measures laid out in the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act will ensure the U.S. is properly equipped to protect our national security interests and ensure stability and security in the region.”
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Senator Kaine focused on the displacement crisis and regional stability, saying, “The widespread violence perpetrated by criminal gangs in Haiti has internally displaced over one million Haitians and created a dire humanitarian crisis. This bill would help address the deteriorating conditions in Haiti by sanctioning Haitian gangs and other individuals with ties to them, and require a comprehensive analysis regarding how this crisis impacts our security and the stability of the region.”
The act defines “economic elite” and “political elite” and is set to sunset five years after its enactment. The senators expressed hope for swift passage of the bill to address the escalating crisis in Haiti.
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