Overview:
Officials from the Security of Protected Areas Brigade (BSAP) say they have not received details on how the Transitional Presidential Council’s decision to integrate them into Haiti’s national security plan will be implemented. The resolution calls for BSAP to assist in combating armed gangs alongside the country’s security forces. While they welcome the move, it comes amid strong criticism of the brigade and ongoing concerns over its lack of transparency.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s Security of Protected Areas Brigade (BSAP), a paramilitary force created without clear legal oversight, has reportedly been infiltrated by gang-affiliated actors and long operated in legal gray zones. Despite this, BSAP agents across the country say they are ready to join the fight against gangs following a controversial government decree to integrate them into national security operations.
The April 3 directive from Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) calls for the incorporation of BSAP into law enforcement efforts, pending conduct evaluations. But the move has sparked alarm among human rights advocates and political leaders, who point to the brigade’s murky origins, inconsistent command structure, and lack of training standards as serious red flags.
Founded by former Environment Minister Pierre Simon Georges under President Moïse, the BSAP operates under the National Agency of Protected Areas (ANAP) and was originally established in 2018 under the late President Jovenel Moïse with minimal oversight. BSAP was intended to support environmental protection efforts. Since then, however, it has evolved into a poorly regulated force with little public accountability — one that critics say is vulnerable to political manipulation and criminal infiltration.
“We haven’t received any official circular from the relevant authorities, but we saw the announcement like everyone else on social media. We are ready and willing to fight for our country, because we don’t have a second one.”
Kesny Cherenfant, BSAP secretary for the Northwest department
“BSAP is involved in theft, kidnapping, and extortion, all documented,” said Espérance on local radio Magik 9, April 6. “This decision will undermine the fight against insecurity and expose law enforcement and the public to greater risks.”
BSAP officials, while welcoming the CPT’s decision, remain unclear on collaboration details.
“We haven’t received any official circular from the relevant authorities, but we saw the announcement like everyone else on social media,” said Kesny Cherenfant, BSAP secretary for the Northeast region. “We are ready and willing to fight for our country because we don’t have a second one.”
Since taking over as the TPC’s third coordinator, Alphonse Jean has emphasized the urgency of mobilizing BSAP against gangs amid rising violence.
In the first quarter of the year, gangs intensified attacks in the capital and in the Artibonite region. In Kenscoff alone, at least 262 were killed, dozens injured, and nearly 200 homes destroyed, displacing over 3,000. UN envoy Maria Isabel Salvador described the assaults as “extremely brutal,” citing burned bodies and sexual violence.
As violence spreads to areas like Saut-d’Eau and Mirebalais, BSAP Northeast administrator Mislaire Jean Pierre supports the integration.
“The fight against insecurity is the duty of every Haitian who carries Dessalines’ blood in their veins,” Jean Pierre told The Haitian Times. “It is an honor for us to merge with the PNH [Haiti National Police] and the FAD’H [Armed Forces of Haiti] because each entity has its own responsibilities.”
“BSAP is involved in theft, kidnapping, and extortion, all documented.”
Pierre Espérance, RNDDH director
Jean Pierre highlighted BSAP’s terrain knowledge and expertise in securing protected areas as advantages in combating gangs.
“BSAP already has techniques to track and fight any bandit hiding in protected zones,” he said.
Crispin Borgella, head of the BSAP in Artibonite, echoed the same sentiment and the need for logistical support.
“We, the BSAP agents, are mostly former military personnel. We are well-versed in various combat tactics,” Borgella said. “We are determined to respond to the call issued by the Presidential Transition Council, because it is crucial for the state [country’s officials] to regain control over the security situation.”
BSAP: a highly criticized entity with an unclear operation and still some support
Formed from former FAD’H soldiers, the BSAP was launched to protect wildlife and support reforestation. Although it officially listed just over 100 members in 2021, its actual size remains unclear. The 2024–2025 budget accounts for only 41 environmental agents under ANAP — the agency overseeing BSAP — yet estimates suggest thousands wear the uniform without any public recruitment process.
ANAP operates on a $1.65 million budget, but it’s unclear how much, if any, is directed to BSAP. In Gonaïves, officials refused to disclose membership figures, while regional leaders reported around 300 members in the Northwest and 600 in the Northeast. During a recent April 3 census, Northeast officials were caught presenting fake badges and uniforms, according to administrator Mislaire Jean-Pierre.
In January 2024, then–Prime Minister Ariel Henry ousted BSAP leader Jeantel Joseph and installed a technical commission to overhaul ANAP. The move followed reports that Joseph aligned BSAP with former senator Guy Philippe, even assigning agents to provide him security as he publicly called for the government’s overthrow.
Despite the controversy, some credit BSAP with securing the town of Ouanaminthe during the Massacre River canal construction, defending the brigade’s role amid rising insecurity.
On February 7, 2024, tensions escalated when members of PNH killed five BSAP agents and arrested three others in Laboule, Pétion-Ville. According to the police union SYNAPOHA, the incident occurred after BSAP agents allegedly opened fire upon refusing police orders to exit a vehicle deemed suspicious.
Northern Department Delegate Pierrot Augustin has been accused of illegally installing a group of BSAP agents in uniforms in a neighborhood near Cap-Haïtien, without proper authorization. These men, posing as BSAP officers, have been accused of land theft.
In February 2022, the Ministry of Environment canceled all BSAP agents’ badges due to repeated instances of misconduct. BSAP was later revived in 2023 and gained some positive attention for protecting the construction of an irrigation canal on the Massacre River near the Haiti-Dominican Republic border.
“I think it’s a good decision. The state should provide them with sufficient resources so they can eliminate gangs in the country.”
Mikel-Ange Aristide, Ouanaminthe resident
“I think it’s a good decision, the state should provide them with sufficient resources so that they can successfully eliminate gangs in the country,” said Mikel-Ange Aristide, a 58-year-old resident of in the Northwest where BSAP maintains its presence.
”State leaders made this decision at a crucial time when the country urgently needs to address insecurity at all levels.”
Critics demand oversight as BSAP integration moves ahead without clarity
This history has fueled calls for transparency and reform particularly as BSAP is called to step into a more prominent national role.
Espérance maintains that the brigade has no legal foundation under the country’s Constitution or its public security framework.
“They are neither paid nor armed by the state,” Espérance said. He rejects the TPC’s decision, believing it seeks to legitimize a structure involved in numerous abuses.
Others, like political party leader Clarens Renois of UNIR (Union Nationale pour l’Intégrité et la Réconciliation), have taken a more moderate view. He called for rigorous vetting to prevent the infiltration by criminals or politically motivated actors.
“Such a measure, without thorough screening or control, could backfire on the Haitian state and further complicate the security crisis,” says Renois. “Investigations must be conducted on every member of this unit before any integration into the armed forces.”
Despite these warnings, the April 3 decree has moved forward without clear public guidance on its implementation.
No details have been provided on how the collaboration will function, nor when the memorandum of understanding will be finalized, and the government has not yet made an official request for BSAP assistance.
“We haven’t planned a strategy with the PNH officials in the region yet, but I hope it can happen at any time,” said Ronald Petit, BSAP Norwest Region director, welcoming the decision. “Before this decision, some members of the population didn’t consider us a legal security force capable of serving and protecting the country; they humiliated us.”
Still, even as regional leaders like Petit express readiness, major questions remain about the brigade’s integration — including whether BSAP will fall under police or military authority, how it will be armed and trained, and how it will be funded. It is also unclear whether the force will operate with financial autonomy or be absorbed into the Haiti National Police (PNH) budget.
The Haitian Times reached out to PNH spokesperson Lionel Lazarre regarding the lack of details about the PNH-BSAP collaboration, but he offered little information.
“I can’t say anything on the matter, as there are still no details about what they’ve announced they plan to do,” Lazarre said.