Jamaican criminals arrested, facing deportation from Haiti.

A woman holds her baby as tires are set on fire in the street.

The Haitian police have nabbed two (2) Jamaican fugitives who have been hiding out in the country for several months. They were apprehended in Haiti’s northern commune of Limbé, 16 miles south of Cap-Haïtien.

Their names are Oshane “Brukhand” Francis, 25 years old, who is listed as most wanted for multiple murder cases in Jamaica and Jason Latouche, 31 years old. They were held by the police after residents reported the men for suspicious behavior, citing they believed they were armed and dangerous.

The Haitian Times is reporting that on April 24 this year (2024), the Haitian National Police (PNH) arrested two Jamaican fugitives. A police spokesperson for the Northern Department, Arold Jean confirmed that Francis is a known fugitive in Jamaica.

“We are grateful to the community for their vigilance and will continue encouraging them to report any unusual activities”, Jean told The Haitian Times.

Jean also revealed that INTERPOL is facilitating the extradition of Francis and Latouche to Jamaica. The timeline for their transfer is yet to be determined. Currently, the two are being held in a jail in Cap-Haïtien.

Francis, also known as Brukhand, has been identified as the most wanted individual in St. James. In May 2023, following a series of double and triple murders, the Jamaican police had included Francis on a list of five individuals urged to surrender.

The Jamaican police had reportedly seized a vehicle used by Francis in June 2023 but were unsuccessful in arresting him. He is said to have been living in Haiti for about two months.

Haitian residents told the police that the two men owned a small boat, likely used for the 333-mile journey from Jamaica to Haiti. However, the police have not yet located the boat or the alleged weapons. During the arrest operations, PNH officers did find marijuana joints in the men's possession.

Jamaican fugitives hiding out in Haiti seems to be a developing trend, as on February 13, Mitchell Winston Evan, another Jamaican citizen, was also arrested by Haitian police. The Haitian Times reports that this arrest occurred in the northern region’s Fort Saint-Michel, where Evan, accompanied by a Haitian accomplice, was caught carrying 192.5 kilogrammes of marijuana. It is however unclear whether Evan is in some way connected to Francis and Latouche.