Journalist Wadson Désir Arrested in US for Illegal Detention and Harassment

Haitian journalist Wadson Désir, 46, was arrested in the United States for illegal detention and harassment following an incident earlier this month in Miami-Dade County, American media outlet NBC6 reported on May 22, 2025.

According to the American media, Mr. Désir, who worked as a driver for the Lyft platform, allegedly picked up a Starbucks employee in Homestead as part of a trip covered by a collaboration program between Starbucks and Lyft. However, instead of taking her directly home, the driver allegedly deliberately deviated from the planned route, causing concern for the passenger.

NBC 6 indicates that the victim told investigators the Lyft app had sent her several notifications advising her to call the police if she felt unsafe. When she noticed Désir was going in the wrong direction, he allegedly just laughed, explaining that he had made a «wrong turn».

Still according to NBC 6, the victim allegedly called her boyfriend so he could monitor her real-time location. Upon arriving in her community, Désir allegedly locked the doors, preventing the young woman from leaving the vehicle. He then allegedly demanded her phone, recorded his own number in it, and called himself to keep her contact information. Only after this did he allegedly unlock the doors, allowing the passenger to exit.

NBC 6 specifies that Wadson Désir's actions did not stop there. A few days later, he allegedly appeared at the victim's workplace, standing in front of the Starbucks door and conspicuously brandishing his phone to attract her attention, a gesture interpreted as a form of harassment.

Wadson Désir will now have to answer to American justice for these particularly serious acts, according to the indictment obtained by NBC 6.

By Gédéon Delva with NBC