The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has confirmed the arrest of Haitian businessman and former presidential hopeful, Dr. Pierre Réginald Boulos.
In a statement issued Monday, July 21, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Boulos, a Haitian citizen and permanent U.S. resident, was arrested July 17, 2025, for “violating the Immigration and Nationality Act contributing to the destabilization of Haiti.”
The Department of State said Boulos “engaged in a campaign of violence and gang support that contributed to Haiti’s destabilization.”
According to earlier reports, Boulos was arrested at his home in South Florida. In their statement, the State Department said they had determined that Boulos’ presence and activities in the United States posed “potential serious adverse foreign policy consequences,” forming the legal basis for his removal.
Officials said Boulos failed to disclose his involvement in forming a political party in Haiti during his application for U.S. permanent residency. They also cited a referral for prosecution by Haiti’s Unit for the Fight Against Corruption, alleging Boulos misused loans, further supporting charges of immigration fraud.
Born in New York to Haitian parents, Boulos renounced his U.S. citizenship to run for president of Haiti under his MTV d’Haïti party.
He holds a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University in New Orleans and is chairman and CEO of the Boulos Investment Group. He also founded a chain of supermarkets in Haiti.
DHS said Boulos is currently in ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations custody.
The case is being investigated jointly by ICE, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.
WPTV reached out to a phone number affiliated with Boulos’ Palm Beach address. A person answered but declined to comment.
