U.S. citizen became a victim of Dominican official when trying to cross into Haiti

[NanSanPedro]

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article290844439.html

Retired U.S. Army sergeant major Guy Theus knows that trying to cross into Haiti from the neighboring Dominican Republic can be a chaotic venture as motorists, motorcyclists and pedestrians all compete at once for passage through wrought-iron gates. But what he was unaware of is that trying to cross the border on the island of Hispaniola, which the two nations share, could also leave him with a bruised right temple after a Dominican official assumed he was because is he Black he is Haitian — and that he could do anything to him and get away with it. Theus, 63, says he was physically assaulted Tuesday morning while trying to cross into northern Haiti from the Dominican town of Dajabón, where a request to see his passport at an immigration and customs checkpoint turned into a verbal altercation, than a punch to the face and a slap from a Dominican government employee working the border. The incident happened in the presence of several people, including two Americans Theus was also trying to help after they were reportedly told that U.S. citizens could not cross the land border into Haiti.

On Wednesday, with the help of Mariot Noel from the Haitian Consulate in Dajabón, Theus filed a legal complaint against the accused officer. He was given a 10 a.m. Tuesday court hearing, Noel said, explaining that because of his injuries the court gave Theus several days to recover before hearing the complaint. Because he was told by both Dominican and U.S. embassy officials he’s not allowed to cross into Haiti, Theus said he was forced to book a ticket to Miami in order to fly to Cap-Haïtien in order to drive to the northeastern border town of Ouanaminthe, where his wife was waiting on him at the time of the incident. Marie-Paule Dupiton said what’s happened to her husband is “difficult to swallow.” “It’s mind boggling,” Dupiton said. “If a U.S. Army retired sergeant major of 34 years can be assaulted at the border, who else will not be?”

A New York pediatrician, Dupiton has been running a summer camp in Ouanaminthe with her husband for the past eight years. Several years ago, the couple bought a condo in the Dominican city of Santiago, which is where Dupiton left her husband on Sunday when she crossed over into Haiti with the help of a pastor’s wife to prepare for his arrival with camp supplies. Theus says he was at the customs office on the Dominican side of the border trying to get permission to cross Tuesday morning when the incident with the officer happened. “He arrogantly told me, ‘Get the passport, don’t let me ask you again for the second time,’ ” Theus said, recalling the exchange between him and the Dominican officer who spoke broken Haitian Creole. After the two engaged in a brief argument, Theus said, things got physical. “The guy then threw a punch, hitting my right temple and my eyes,” Theus said. “It’s when I collected myself I realized the guy just punched me. I walked after him and said, ‘You just punched me.’ He turned around and then slapped me,” Theus added.

After Theus walked into a building to ask to see a supervisor, the officer, Theus said, turned around again and then grabbed the back of his pants and physically removed him. Moments later, another officer approached Theus and the two other U.S. citizens whom he was with. When he finally handed over his passport, which had been in his parked car, Theus said the officer let out an expletive. It was an American passport, not Haitian. “I guess he assumed I’m Haitian and he can do anything he wants to me,” Theus said of the first officer.

Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez confirmed to the Miami Herald that there was “indeed an incident” at the border where Theus “was handled improperly” and it is currently being investigated. It is unclear, Alvarez said, if the accused is an immigration officer or worked for another agency at the border, which has come under tighter restrictions since armed gangs tried to overthrow Haiti’s government earlier this year.

Tensions along the island’s border crossings are not unheard of and a State Department official confirmed the agency is “aware of reports of incidents involving U.S. citizens encountering challenges with Dominican officials at border crossings.” The State Department declined to go into details, citing privacy concerns. However, earlier this year several Black U.S. Peace Corps volunteers were detained in the country, which led to concerns among both U.S. embassy and Biden administration personnel. In its 2023 state of human rights report for the Dominican Republic, the State Department said there was “evidence of racial prejudice and discrimination by the security forces and other government offices against persons of darker complexion, in particular Haitians, Dominicans of Haitian descent, or those perceived to be Haitian.” Those concerns in 2022 led to diplomatic spar between the country and the United States after the State Department took the unusual step of issuing a travel warning for darker-skin U.S. citizens and those of African descent traveling to the Dominican Republic. Black travelers were warned that they could be detained due to their complexion and an increase in immigration enforcement actions against Haitian. Theus, who contacted both the Haitian consulate and U.S. embassies about the altercation, says he is in the process of filing a complaint against the officer. Late Tuesday, he was told he needed to go see a government-approved physician to document his injury before taking legal action.

 

[AlterEgo]

I’m confused. He was trying to walk into Haiti without his passport, which was in a car? Why the altercation over showing his passport??? Is it true that Americans cannot enter Haiti? Seems there’s something missing from this story.

 

[NanSanPedro]

I’m confused. He was trying to walk into Haiti without his passport, which was in a car? Why the altercation over showing his passport??? Is it true that Americans cannot enter Haiti? Seems there’s something missing from this story.

He may have 2 passports if he's Haitian, that's kinda what I was thinking but am not sure.

However, Americans can't cross the border into Haiti is news to me. I had not heard that before. If I was legal here, I would try it myself just to see.

 

[Winkeladvocat]

I also think some major facts are missing here , because border police officers don't usually slap travellers for no reason. Why did the "retired US Army Sergeant major of 34 years" not show his passport upon request? Was he verbally escalating the situation until the border protection officer had enough?

 

[NanSanPedro]

I also think some major facts are missing here , because border police officers don't usually slap travellers for no reason. Why did the "retired US Army Sergeant major of 34 years" not show his passport upon request? Was he verbally escalating the situation until the border protection officer had enough?

You´re probably right. We aren´t getting the border guy´s story. The truth is somewhere in there.

 

[CristoRey]

Clearly details favoring the Dominican agent have been omitted which is typical when it comes to how these "news organiztions" tend to report their version of events, especially when playing the R card. Nonsense. Pay it no mind.

 

[Big]

It seems he was trying the "do you know who I am and who I know" routine, with a little "what's your name and badge number" sprinkled on top. No doubt in my mind he got what he had coming to him. I see these clowns at the airport all the type trying to impress and intimidate officials. Instead of letting it go he filed a "legal complaint". This type of guy gets into arguments at the deli counter and sends food back all the time for a weird power trip.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Clearly details favoring the Dominican agent have been omitted which is typical when it comes to how these "news organiztions" tend to report their version of events, especially when playing the R card. Nonsense. Pay it no mind.

I would think a Sgt Major has cred. I trust his word. Given the amount of bribes migracion takes in, their cred is lacking.

 

[Big]

I would think a Sgt Major has cred. I trust his word. Given the amount of bribes migracion takes in, their cred is lacking.

Well, it looks like an "enlisted" man tried to throw his weight around and lost.

 

[bob saunders]

It seems he was trying the "do you know who I am and who I know" routine, with a little "what's your name and badge number" sprinkled on top. No doubt in my mind he got what he had coming to him. I see these clowns at the airport all the type trying to impress and intimidate officials. Instead of letting it go he filed a "legal complaint". This type of guy gets into arguments at the deli counter and sends food back all the time for a weird power trip.

that may be true, but there is no indication of that being what happened. Even if that happened there would be no need for the violence.

 

[CristoRey]

Even if that happened there would be no need for the violence.

Two sides to every story.
I doubt it happened as reported.

 

[Winkeladvocat]

I would think a Sgt Major has cred. I trust his word. Given the amount of bribes migracion takes in, their cred is lacking.

Why would a US ex sergeant who refuses to comply with simple border crossing procedures have more cred. than a Dominican border official. The border agent' s job is hard enough even without entitled 'U.S. Army sergeant majors' who think they are above the law.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Why would a US ex sergeant who refuses to comply with simple border crossing procedures have more cred. than a Dominican border official. The border agent' s job is hard enough even without entitled 'U.S. Army sergeant majors' who think they are above the law.

Why? Because with 2000 pesos I can get any border guard to do my bidding. Collectively, they merit no respect.

 

[keepcoming]

Why would a US ex sergeant who refuses to comply with simple border crossing procedures have more cred. than a Dominican border official. The border agent' s job is hard enough even without entitled 'U.S. Army sergeant majors' who think they are above the law.

We do not know what happened really, the truth always seems to lay somewhere in between. Bribes have a tendency to cast doubt on the officials at the border. Not saying that is what is happening though. Obviously, there is more to the story.

 

[Big]

that may be true, but there is no indication of that being what happened. Even if that happened there would be no need for the violence.

bob I totally agree that violence never solves a problem. However as much as it pains many machismo men, yes sir and no sir will never get you assaulted (smacked). "Pardon me Sir, I have my documents right here, sorry for the inconvenience". We all know that is NOT how he responded. He acted like a Richard and got what he had coming.

 

[Big]

Why? Because with 2000 pesos I can get any border guard to do my bidding. Collectively, they merit no respect.

That certainly is a broad brush.

 

[Big]

I give out challenge coins. They always get respect and appreciation.

 

[malko]

I'm going with the American's story.

I witnessed --- first hand ---- how DGM agents can be c###s.
I have already posted my experience on DR1, a bunch of years ago about an " altercation" I had with a DGM agent at that exact same spot, on the border bridge at Dajabon.

 

[Big]

I am going with the border patrol. Everyone should be smart enough not to antagonize a uniformed officer and know how to deal and communicate with them. An entitled ex shoulder with a chip will lose every time. For that matter a nurse or a car salesmen with an attitude will lose as well.

 

[NanSanPedro]

I would still like verification that an American can't cross into Haiti. That doesn't sound right.