Overview:
Cap-Haïtien police arrested gang leader Jameson “Tapè” Frédéric on May 10. He is a key figure in Tabarre 43, a Port-au-Prince neighborhood under the control of the Kraze Baryè gang, led by an allegedly wanted criminal and notorious gang boss, Vitel’Homme Innocent. His arrest follows a string of anti-gang operations in the Northern Department in recent days.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — Police in Cap-Haïtien arrested a key figure from one of Port-au-Prince’s most notorious gangs on May 10, heightening concerns over gang migration from the capital into northern Haiti.
Jameson “Tapè” Frédéric, 28, a lieutenant in the Kraze Baryè gang and head of the Tabarre 43 faction, was apprehended at a checkpoint in the Barrière Bouteille area after driving from Port-au-Prince. His brother, Youry Frédéric, who met him at the location, was also arrested.
Frédéric told police he was passing through Cap-Haïtien en route to the Dominican Republic, claiming he was fleeing gang life in the capital. But his arrest fits a pattern of suspected gang operatives slipping into the city in recent months.
“Effectively, maybe there’s more [gang members from Port-au-Prince] in the city,” said Arold Jean, spokesperson for the Northern Department police. “That’s why we need to work, to collaborate. Our results are the fruit of the people working with the police,” the departmental police spokesperson told The Haitian Times.
Authorities say Frédéric serves as a top lieutenant under Vitel’Homme Innocent, the leader of Kraze Baryè and one of the FBI’s most-wanted fugitives.
Cap-Haïtien has been under alert and heightened security since the leadership change at the helm of the Haitian National Police’s (PNH) departmental directorate, with Serme Calixte replacing Fred Joseph last month.
We need to collaborate because our results in Cap-Haïtien are the fruit of the partnership between the people and the police.
Arold Jean, Northern Police Spokesman
Police did not disclose how they learned of Frédéric’s presence in the region, citing operational secrecy. However, Jean said enhanced patrols and an increase in checkpoints began after Calixte took over as departmental director on April 21.
“This arrest is part of the new director’s strategy,” Jean said. “We’ve multiplied our patrols and reinforced checkpoints throughout the department to prevent gangs from settling here.”
Related operations: five gang members killed, marijuana seized
Frédéric’s arrest came one week after police killed five members of the Koulou gang in Nan Zonbi (Zombieland), a neighborhood in Cap-Haïtien, during a raid. Among the dead was Dessalines, the group’s co-leader. Police also arrested Carla Saint Juste, the gang leader’s girlfriend, during the operation.
On May 11, anti-narcotics officers from the Controlling of Narcotics Trafficking Brigade (BLTS) seized 78 pounds of marijuana in a home in La Fossette. Three men were arrested during the raid, including Jacques Garçon, 21, Rivaldo “Pappadap” Louis, 25 and Renos Pierre, 67, also known as President Pierre.
According to a note from the departmental police, BLTS investigators had been monitoring the suspects prior to the raid.
Meanwhile, Frédéric has denied a role in the killing of an officer and the kidnappings of Port-au-Prince residents.
Frédéric, who was arrested on Saturday, spent the day in custody while being interrogated by PNH investigators. He is wanted in connection with the March 22 killing of police officer Robert Plaisimond, as well as multiple kidnappings. However, during police interrogation, he denied involvement in violent crimes.
“I don’t kidnap people. I don’t kill police officers,” Frédéric said in a video provided by the police. “Everybody in Tabarre 43 knows me—I live with them like they’re my family.”
He also claimed to have organized activities for children in the community.
As gangs control nearly 90% of the Haitian capital and its surrounding areas while expanding their grip on the Artibonite Department and provincial towns like Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau in the Centre Department, Cap-Haïtien has long been considered a safe city. The northern city has served as the main port of entry to Haiti through commercial flights since a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ban on American carriers. Furthermore, many activities that typically take place in Port-au-Prince have been moved to Cap-Haïtien, even though the city is relatively small.
The fear among residents is apparent, but the Cap-Haïtien police under Calixte’s leadership seems to provide them with reason for hope. The departmental police spokesperson emphasizes the importance of the community-police partnership in preventing the city from falling under the control of gangs.
Jean reiterated the importance of public collaboration in maintaining security and called on residents to report suspicious activity.
“Nothing is impossible if we collaborate and the community will always remain safe,” Jean said. “
