United States/Haiti – Businessman Dimitri Vorbe Arrested by ICE
Haitian businessman Dimitri Vorbe, Vice-President of Société Générale d’Énergie (SOGENER), was arrested this Tuesday, September 23, 2025, in the United States by agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 3 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
Powerful Haitian businessman Dimitri Vorbe, Vice-President of Société Générale d’Énergie (SOGENER), was arrested this Tuesday, September 23, 2025, in the United States by agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The information, first reported by Radio Télé Scoop FM, was confirmed by a source close to the family to Le Nouvelliste.
According to this source, “they came to his home and took him. There are no other details for now,” specifying that Dimitri Vorbe’s presence on American territory was known to authorities. “U.S. authorities have held his passport since his first arrest a few years ago,” the same person added.
An arrest with still unclear contours
For now, neither the DHS nor the American justice system has specified the exact charges against Mr. Vorbe.
The operation, however, comes the day after U.S. sanctions were imposed on former Haitian senator Antonio Cheramy, known as Don Kato, accused by Washington of having played a “destabilizing” role in the democratic process in Haiti. However, no official evidence allows for establishing a direct link between these sanctions and Dimitri Vorbe’s arrest. A fierce opponent of Jovenel Moïse An influential figure in the Haitian energy sector, Dimitri Vorbe has been at the center of controversies for several years related to SOGENER’s electricity contracts and his disputes with the government. He was one of the fiercest opponents of President Jovenel Moïse, assassinated on July 7, 2021. “The sun is shining! Even from his grave, Jovenel Moïse seems to be demanding justice,” reacted an internet user on X (formerly Twitter), illustrating the atmosphere of revenge felt by some supporters of the former head of state. Cascade of reactions on social media The announcement triggered a wave of comments in Haiti and the diaspora. Marckly E. Mathurin, a widely followed user on X, wrote: “I eagerly await the arrest of Don Kato (…) who deliberately destroyed parliament with a group of gangsters in the name of Dimitri Vorbe. This old lady is a puppet; let’s start setting an example with corrupt politicians like Don Kato.” *Another English-speaking internet user challenged Washington: “Sanctions against just the henchmen without their corrupt oligarch bosses aren’t enough. Why not sanctions against A. Cheramy’s boss Dimitri Vorbe? He wouldn’t move a stone without his boss’s direct orders and financing during his destabilizing time in Congress.” *A member of Haitian civil society, for his part, launched:
“JISTIS POU JOVENEL! KIKI ARRETE USA: Arrestation of businessman Dimitri Vorbe by HSI one day after sanctions against Don Kato.” Some remarks are much more virulent. Several people interviewed by local media describe Vorbe as a “thief” and “assassin.” In the same vein, a PHTK supporter recalled the date of Moïse’s assassination: “We continue to demand justice for the martyred president, specifically the arrest and trial of Dimitri Vorbe, Reginald Boulos, and Samir Handal, the three main Haitian oligarchs who allegedly paid 20 million dollars to a Miami-based security company, CTU, to hire former Colombian military personnel to assassinate the president.” *A Haitian internet user in the diaspora added: “Yes, the corrupt SOGENER VP Dimitri Vorbe, trafficker, blackmailer, extortionist, biggest spy, traitor in the Haitian community, son of sanctioned criminal oligarch Jean-Marie Vorbe, been arrested. Waiting for more confirmation.” An explosive case While these accusations remain unverified at this stage, they attest to the high political and emotional charge surrounding Dimitri Vorbe’s name, who is already being prosecuted by the Haitian state in financial disputes with SOGENER. The American justice system has not yet communicated any details on the reasons for this arrest. Mr. Vorbe’s lawyers have not yet reacted publicly. This arrest, which occurs in a context of strong international pressure against corruption in Haiti, could open a new chapter in relations between Washington and certain Haitian economic elites. The coming days will be decisive in determining the legal consequences of this case with major political ramifications.
The operation, however, comes the day after U.S. sanctions were imposed on former Haitian senator Antonio Cheramy, known as Don Kato, accused by Washington of having played a “destabilizing” role in the democratic process in Haiti. However, no official evidence allows for establishing a direct link between these sanctions and Dimitri Vorbe’s arrest. A fierce opponent of Jovenel Moïse An influential figure in the Haitian energy sector, Dimitri Vorbe has been at the center of controversies for several years related to SOGENER’s electricity contracts and his disputes with the government. He was one of the fiercest opponents of President Jovenel Moïse, assassinated on July 7, 2021. “The sun is shining! Even from his grave, Jovenel Moïse seems to be demanding justice,” reacted an internet user on X (formerly Twitter), illustrating the atmosphere of revenge felt by some supporters of the former head of state. Cascade of reactions on social media The announcement triggered a wave of comments in Haiti and the diaspora. Marckly E. Mathurin, a widely followed user on X, wrote: “I eagerly await the arrest of Don Kato (…) who deliberately destroyed parliament with a group of gangsters in the name of Dimitri Vorbe. This old lady is a puppet; let’s start setting an example with corrupt politicians like Don Kato.” *Another English-speaking internet user challenged Washington: “Sanctions against just the henchmen without their corrupt oligarch bosses aren’t enough. Why not sanctions against A. Cheramy’s boss Dimitri Vorbe? He wouldn’t move a stone without his boss’s direct orders and financing during his destabilizing time in Congress.” *A member of Haitian civil society, for his part, launched:
“JISTIS POU JOVENEL! KIKI ARRETE USA: Arrestation of businessman Dimitri Vorbe by HSI one day after sanctions against Don Kato.” Some remarks are much more virulent. Several people interviewed by local media describe Vorbe as a “thief” and “assassin.” In the same vein, a PHTK supporter recalled the date of Moïse’s assassination: “We continue to demand justice for the martyred president, specifically the arrest and trial of Dimitri Vorbe, Reginald Boulos, and Samir Handal, the three main Haitian oligarchs who allegedly paid 20 million dollars to a Miami-based security company, CTU, to hire former Colombian military personnel to assassinate the president.” *A Haitian internet user in the diaspora added: “Yes, the corrupt SOGENER VP Dimitri Vorbe, trafficker, blackmailer, extortionist, biggest spy, traitor in the Haitian community, son of sanctioned criminal oligarch Jean-Marie Vorbe, been arrested. Waiting for more confirmation.” An explosive case While these accusations remain unverified at this stage, they attest to the high political and emotional charge surrounding Dimitri Vorbe’s name, who is already being prosecuted by the Haitian state in financial disputes with SOGENER. The American justice system has not yet communicated any details on the reasons for this arrest. Mr. Vorbe’s lawyers have not yet reacted publicly. This arrest, which occurs in a context of strong international pressure against corruption in Haiti, could open a new chapter in relations between Washington and certain Haitian economic elites. The coming days will be decisive in determining the legal consequences of this case with major political ramifications.
