Latest news with #Haiti
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
U.S. Issues 'Do Not Travel' Warning For Caribbean Country
It's vacation season throughout the United States, as many Americans are taking advantage of the warm weather by traveling out of the country for overseas vacations. But the United States has warned that there is one Caribbean country that you should avoid this summer. On July 15, the United States Department of State issued its most severe travel advisory for the nation of Haiti, warning all Americans not to travel to the country for any reason due to kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, and limited health care. The latest advisory was issued on Tuesday morning with the addition of a terror indicator. However, the country has been seen as a high-risk travel destination for quite some time. "In July 2023, the Department of State ordered nonemergency U.S. government employees and their family members to leave the country due to security risks," the latest travel advisory reads. "Haiti has been under a State of Emergency since March 2024. Crimes involving firearms are common in Haiti. They include robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom. Do not travel to Haiti for any reason." The advisory warns that kidnapping in the country is widespread and that "U.S. citizens have been victims and have been hurt or killed." Additionally, U.S. victims' families have paid tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to rescue family members who have been kidnapped. In addition to the threat of kidnapping and robbery, Haiti is at an increased risk of violent crime and terrorism, putting travelers at risk even if they are not involved in the violence. "There is widespread violent crime and organized crime in the country, and local law enforcement has limited ability to respond to serious crimes. Violent crime is rampant in Haiti, especially in Port-au-Prince, where the expansion of gang, organized crime, and terrorist activity has led to widespread violence, kidnappings, and sexual assault. The escalation of clashes between armed groups has led to a rise in sporadic gunfire incidents. There is a substantial risk of being struck by stray bullets, even for individuals not directly involved in the violence," the travel advisory warns. "There is risk of terrorist violence, including attacks and other violent gang activity in Haiti. There are gangs that are designated as terrorist organizations present in Haiti." Additionally, the United States warns that it is limited in its ability to offer assistance to anyone who chooses to travel to Haiti. "The U.S. government is very limited in its ability to help U.S. citizens in Haiti. Local police and first responders often do not have enough resources. This limits their ability to respond to emergencies or serious crimes. Shortages of gasoline, electricity, medicine, and medical supplies are common throughout the country. Public and private clinics, as well as hospitals, have untrained staff and lack basic resources. Medical providers almost always require upfront payment in cash," the advisory warns. There are four levels of travel advisories from the State Department, with the Level 4 advisory given to Haiti ranking as the most severe. U.S. Issues 'Do Not Travel' Warning For Caribbean Country first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 15, 2025
Associated Press
16 hours ago
- Associated Press
Police in Haiti seize a ton of cocaine in a boat raid that leaves 3 suspects dead
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Three suspected drug traffickers were killed in an exchange of fire as police in Haiti confiscated more than 2,300 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of cocaine aboard a boat, officials said Tuesday, in a rare drug seizure in the troubled Caribbean country. The police raid took place off the coast of northern Haiti near Tortue Island where traffickers are suspected of transferring drugs, Port-de-Paix prosecutor Jeir Pierre told Radio Caraïbes on Tuesday. Pierre said police have long postponed any action at that location because of a lack of resources, but noted that a regional police director recently requested a boat to use around Tortue Island. 'We have had this area in our sights for a long time,' Pierre said. Police approached a suspected drug trafficking boat on Sunday and ordered the suspects aboard to raise their hands, but they did not comply and instead opened fire at the officers, Pierre said. Officers returned fire, with two suspected drug traffickers jumping into the ocean and later dying. A third suspected drug trafficker died on shore while a fourth one, from the Bahamas, was injured and later arrested, Pierre said. Police said on X that one of suspects who died was a man from Jamaica. Pierre said no Haitian police officers were injured. The U.S. government has previously noted that powerful people in Haiti are involved in the country's drug trade. In August 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned former Haitian President Michel Martelly, accusing him of abusing his influence to facilitate the trafficking of drugs, including cocaine, destined for the U.S. 'Many of Haiti's political and business elites have long been involved in drug trafficking and have been linked to the gangs responsible for the violence that has destabilized Haiti,' the Treasury Department said.
Entrepreneur
a day ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Founder Grows Carribean Food Brand While Managing Business and Marriage Stress
Get practical advice from Dr. Drew and investor Kim Perell on this episode of Entrepreneur Therapy, featuring In The Kitchen with Alexandra founder Alexandra Baker. When Alexandra Baker started handing out jars of her homemade Haitian pikliz—spicy condiments for rich foods like fried pork and plantains—friends and family couldn't get enough. What began as a side hustle on Etsy turned into a full-fledged food startup, In The Kitchen with Alexandra, where she sells her products through Amazon and independent retailers. But as sales picked up, so did the pressure to fulfill growing demand without enough capital. She appeared on Entrepreneur Therapy, presented by Amazon Business, to ask a question many founders face: how do you keep scaling when you're running out of money? And how to protect her marriage and mental health in the process. Related: How Much Capital Does Your Startup Need? Here Are 7 Key Factors to Consider. Baker explained that demand ramped up quickly, forcing them to reorder inventory almost immediately, even though the money from earlier sales hadn't fully landed yet. She and her husband, Troy—who now run the business together—had already dipped into their savings, taken out an inventory line of credit, and curbed their leisure activities. "We were accustomed to multiple getaways throughout the year and dining out a couple times a week," she said. "We've had to cut back on a lot of that." Perell applauded Baker for staying lean. But she cautioned that every founder needs to define their financial breaking point. "You should know how much you're willing to lose," she said, "because at some point you have to take care of yourself too." For her, that number was $30,000—$10,000 from her grandmother and $20,000 on a credit card. Dr. Drew picked up on the emotional toll the business was taking, pointing out how much it was weighing on Baker and her relationship. "I'm getting a little sad listening to you talk," he said. "You've lost something between you and your partner. And you're willing to pay that price in the short term, but you have to be careful it doesn't become chronic." Baker admitted they'd come close to calling it quits. "We were almost there," she said. "And so far, it was like a light went on. If we didn't see that, I think we would have been very close to saying, 'Okay. We tried. It's not working.'" But the renewed momentum—and support from the Entrepreneur Therapy hosts—gave her hope. "We believe in you," Perell said. "You've got that winning spirit for sure." Entrepreneur Therapy is presented by Amazon Business. Smart business buying starts with Amazon Business. Learn more. Related: 'You Need Support:' Honest Advice for a Founder Trying to Do It All Alone
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Bill Maher clashes with liberal actor over Trump, immigration policy
Bill Maher and liberal actor John Leguizamo clashed over their perceptions of President Donald Trump and the country's immigration system on Maher's latest "Club Random" podcast episode. Leguizamo blasted top Trump official Stephen Miller as a racist and architect of Trump's mass deportation policy, but Maher retorted that the last administration bore blame. "Part of this is a backlash to how badly Biden handled the immigration situation. It can't just be like 'Come one, come all,'" Maher said. "There's plenty of room here," Leguizamo told a skeptical Maher. "There's plenty of room in America, come on. There's no lack of room in America." "It's never about room. It's about resources … Countries have to have a border," Maher said. "I mean, they've done surveys and something like 200 million people around the world when asked, 'Would you come to America if you could?' 'Yes, I would.' Why wouldn't they? Lots of countries, excuse me, are s--tholes, and they would love to be here." Trump was fiercely criticized by the left during his first term when he used that disparaging term for countries like Haiti and El Salvador. "The places aren't s--tholes," Leguizamo replied to Maher. "Well, they are," Maher said. "That's why they want to come." Leguizamo, an outspoken liberal activist, claimed that issues in Latin American countries were often because of actions taken by the United States. Leguizamo also recounted meeting Trump before he entered politics and claimed Trump had once called him "so articulate," which he took as a racist slight against Latinos to suggest they generally weren't. He added he found Trump "so meek," which surprised him. "I wouldn't call it meek," Maher said. "What I would call it is knowing how to make everybody – it's ironic because he's known as the greatest egomaniac, and he is quite an egomaniac – and you're interested in what they're saying. He's good at that." Maher met with Trump at the White House earlier this year and recounted that the president was "gracious and measured," although Maher said he wouldn't pull his punches in criticizing Trump going forward. Leguizamo countered that Trump was "obsequious," and Maher conceded that Trump's alleged remarks about the actor being articulate were "just obnoxious." Maher added that Trump, who turned 79 last month, was also not a racist but rather a "product of his time," to which Leguizamo shot back, "Some of us overcome our times." "That is true and fair to say," Maher said. Leguizamo hosts an MSNBC program, "Leguizamo Does America," where he travels to different Latino communities across the country in an effort to spotlight their culture.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Judges are deporting record numbers of young children under Trump
A far cry from the 'bad, hard criminals' Donald Trump said his undocumented immigrants crackdown would focus on, record-breaking numbers of deportation orders have been issued to young immigrant children under the Trump administration, The Independent can reveal. More kids aged 11 or under — 8,317 — received a removal order from an immigration court in April than any other month in over 35 years of data collection, according to court data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). Since Trump's inauguration in January, judges have ordered removals for over 53,000 immigrant minors. Those children are predominantly elementary school age or younger. Some 15,000 children were aged under four years old, and 20,000 of them were children aged four to eleven. Teenagers are also experiencing climbing deportations, with 17,000 seeing a court-ordered removal, although that's lower than their all-time peak in 2020 under the first Trump administration. Some of these children being deported are unaccompanied minors, who do not have a legal guardian in the US; though the exact number is unclear, since immigration authorities stopped recording this data years ago. Children, including toddlers, are required to show up at immigration hearings to be questioned by a judge – and many, unsurprisingly, do not understand what is happening nor the gravity of their situation. In one case, a source tells the Independent, a young child from Haiti had his immigration court hearing remotely in front of a screen. The child, who had a learning disability, was fidgeting and running around the room. Finally, he pointed at the judge on the screen and asked – 'Who's that?' In other cases, children are being arrested by ICE with their families, but held in detention and deported separately. 'A six year old child was picked up [by ICE] with his father, separated from his dad, and parked in custody for four months before being deported,' a lawyer familiar with children's immigration cases told the Independent. The child was unable to receive legal assistance, as he was deported while federal legal funding had been cut. The deportation outcome rate for immigrant children under age 11 is higher than in any other age group, latest figures show, and has jumped significantly since Trump came into office. What's more, under-18s account for one in four (26 percent) of all deportations ordered in immigration court since January – despite the fact that minors make up just 11 percent of the undocumented population. The vast majority (76 percent) of children under 11 do not have legal representation, and cases are being sped through the system, according to sources close to the courts. 'This is pumping up the deportation numbers on the back of kids – their rights to safety and due process are not respected,' the immigration lawyer told the Independent. 'This is about striking fear in the hearts of everybody. It's demonstrable cruelty in the name of so-called deterrence.' Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin responded to the Independent: 'Accusations that ICE is 'targeting' children are FALSE and an attempt to demonize law enforcement. ICE does not 'target' children nor does it deport children. Rather than separate families, ICE asks mothers if they want to be removed with their children or if the child should be placed with someone safe the parent designates.' Highest-ever deportations for young children Immigration crackdowns across the country have been almost indiscriminate, with new data revealing that ICE is arresting more non-criminals than ever. The number of people who have been deported under the Trump administration is murky; ICE has not disclosed official figures since January, and available immigration court data is not comprehensive, with age not recorded in 13 percent of cases. But analysis of court data reveals that children have been increasingly, and disproportionately, marked for deportation in recent months. Under the Trump administration, immigration courts have quickly ramped up deportation rates. Around two thirds (68 percent) of all immigration court proceedings ended in deportation in May, compared to 39 percent in January. But for children under 11, the removal rate is even higher, at 75 percent in May; and 78 percent for kids under 4 years old, both substantially higher than the 45 percent seen on average for young kids in January. This suggests that children are being disproportionately targeted for deportations under this administration, overrepresented by 2.3 times more than their proportion of the illegal immigrant population, our analysis shows. 'What we're seeing right now is basically a grist mill in immigration court, just scooting kids through the process as quickly as possible,' the lawyer, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Independent. At the same time, children facing immigration court are more vulnerable and less protected than ever. In spite of this, the Trump administration has been fighting to cancel funding which provides legal aid for unaccompanied immigrant children. The government first issued a stop-work order in February, and cancelled federal contracts in March. In April the federal district court ordered the Trump administration to restore funding, saying it is congressionally mandated under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Legal assistance programs told the Independent that they had since been re-contracted; but remain on 'pins and needles' as the government appeals the court ruling, and Trump's Big Beautiful Bill makes it harder and more expensive to sue against his policies. Rocket dockets and separating families In the meantime, children are being put on expedited paths through immigration court, known as 'rocket dockets', according to the immigration lawyer. Many of these cases are going through in just two weeks from start to finish – which leaves little-to-no room for a child to prepare the necessary documents and arguments. 'Of course, a child is going to file a case that's not completely fleshed out in all the legal arguments, because they don't understand the legal argument,' the lawyer told the Independent. 'This is also really damaging for trafficking victims. Kids who have experienced severe trauma need the time to have their nervous system relax, to understand that they're safe, to share some of the most sensitive details about their cases.' These tactics evoke the family separation policy, employed in 2018 under the first Trump administration, which forcibly kept parents and children apart when detained at the border – with as many as 1,360 families never reunited, according to Human Rights Watch. 'It is seen as against the due process rights of a child to be systematically separated from their parent or legal guardian,' the lawyer explained. 'What's clear is that they are sidestepping the legal settlement to protect children from these cruel techniques."
